


The Big RWBY Fanfic

by Char_Lottie



Category: RWBY
Genre: Adam is a rancid little incel, Domestic, F/F, F/M, Fanart, Fix-It, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-26
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:29:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 54,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22414021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Char_Lottie/pseuds/Char_Lottie
Summary: Basically my attempt at novelizing RWBY to the best of my ability, while also adding, removing, or changing aspects of it as I think work or sound better. Be good people.Starts at Volume 1, so buckle up.Will be adding quite a bit of additional stuff to lengthen the school year and have some domestic life before...the troubles...Volume 1: Complete
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Jaune Arc/Pyrrha Nikos
Comments: 3
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

The Big RWBY Fanfic

Prologue: Here we go Again

Mankind has always had a fondness for stories and legends. Tales of heroes conquering evil to bring justice and balance to the world. Forgetting quickly they themselves are merely remnants of a history long since passed.  
Born into an unforgiving world of grim threats in the form of shadowy beasts, only superficially resembling wildlife. These creatures who became known as Grimm, seemed bent on the destruction of life, human-kind especially. And as if by fate, it appeared that darkness was intent on snuffing them out entirely.  
Yet in darkness, there seems to always shine hope. Through determination and ingenuity, mankind found the material that would serve as the foundation for their lives in the world. Named for the foundation of all living things, “Dust”.  
With the raw power of nature’s strength at their disposal, humans carved a path through the darkness, and in this divide man found the strength to build civilization. To found their own Life. Their kingdoms. So you may all build your monuments to this world of “Choice” you insist you live in. Build your towers as tall as the mountains, and train your soldiers to become your fated guardians.  
However. As lights shine brighter, they edge closer to the time they will flicker and fail. And once the light is gone...Only darkness will be left in its stead. 

In the cool late summer night, five men emerge from an alley, and stroll confidently through the street. The lead man, a thin red haired man with green eyes, clad in a White Polyester coat and black derby hat, stops to pull out a cigar, smiling as he lights it and continues down the road, twirling his cane as he approaches a shop with a brightly lit neon sign proudly displaying “From Dust Till Dawn.”  
The orange haired man and his entourage enter the shop, eyeing everything down. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a dust shop open this late?” The orange haired man tells the shopkeeper with a smug grin, tapping ash from his cigar onto the counter.  
With the subtlety befitting his appearance, one of the goons pulls out a firearm to aim at the shopkeeper. Immediately raising his hands above his head, he exclaims, “P-please just take my money and leave!”  
At this response the orange haired man cracks a smile, seeming to be enjoying himself, and in a soothing tone,” shhh, shhh, shhh, we’re not here for your money. I’m Roman Torchwick, I hardly need it.” And in an instant returns to his flat threatening voice when addressing one of the goons, “Grab the dust.” He returns to simply observing the men collect dust in any form they could find it in, crystal, powder, cartridge. And with a long drag of his cigar, leans against the counter looking out at the street.  
One of the goons headed to the far side of the store that had yet to be touched; and noticing by a wall reading a comic, a young, or maybe just short woman in a red hood. He pulls out a short sword and points it in the girls direction. “Hey kid, put your hands up and you won’t get hurt!” Without a response given, he walks up to the girl, and putting a hand on her shoulder, pulls her to face him, “Kid you got a death wish or somethin’?”  
In reality she simply didn’t hear him through her headphones he could now see. Along with the rest of her getup, a small corset and skirt laced with fabric, with a bodysuit underneath. At this he motions for her to take off her headphones. She does, and asks him, “Do you need something?”  
“Yes! I said, put your hands in the air, now!” He burst out.  
“Are you...robbing me?”  
“Yes!”  
The girl smirked, “Ooohhh…”  
As Roman gazed out at the street, smoking his cigar, he heard a crash as one of his men flies past him and through the window into the road. Bewildered he turns and sees the girl standing on top of a knocked over shelf yelling, “I am not a kid! I am a huntress and my name is Ruby Rose! And I won’t allow this to continue!”  
Roman stares at her for a moment of disbelief, before looking to either of his henchmen, “Okayyy...Well? Get her!”  
In a flash of rose petals, Ruby lunged, latching onto, and swinging around the first henchman, using her own momentum as she dug her feet into the ground to floor him, knocking the wind out of his lungs, immediately switching targets to Roman, in another flash jumping at him, as Roman casually steps to the side, Ruby collides with the unsuspecting second goon, knocking him back before moving to his side, jumping into the air, and using both of her legs to propel him out of the second window. The third goon pulls his gun out, aiming it at Ruby’s head, but as he pulls the trigger, again a burst of rose petals fill the space, and Ruby crouches to his side, and sweeps his legs, kicking him before he had a chance to hit the ground, into a shelf who’s structure and contents splinter, and spilled onto him as they both fell to the ground together.  
Before she can revel in her victory, Roman, never missing a beat is already swinging his cane at Ruby, now winded from using her Rose Petals so many times in short succession, it takes all her concentration to dodge his blows, scanning, looking for an opening as she dashes around him. After a moment, she sees an opening, immediately she moves to exploit it. In a flash she’s blindsided by Roman’s left fist, as she's sent flying out of the front door onto the street next to the unconscious goons she subdued earlier. 

Roman casually walked out of the store with one of his cases full of dust, gingerly shutting the door behind himself and strolling down the steps, dropping the case at his feet, “You really didn’t think I could tell what you were doing? It was a feint, Little Red! Take a lesson or two.” Visibly frustrated Ruby got up and pulled out her compacted weapon from her back, which unfolded into a segmented scythe, with the length of the weapon serving as a heavy sniper. “Ohh, Impressive Red! But I’ll show you professionals don’t need gimmicks bigger than they are.” At the taunt Ruby fires her rifle behind her for momentum as she charges towards Roman, who almost effortlessly uses his cane to lift himself into the air, and kicking down on Ruby’s shoulders as she flew past him, digging her scythe into the ground to turn herself around. Only to be met with Roman pointing his cane at her In a mockingly congratulatory tone, “You were worth every cent, Truly you were!” As a red flare shoots out of the cane towards her, she barely manages to block it with her weapon to the best of her ability, still getting singed on her edges as she was knocked onto the steps of the shop. Opening her eyes, she sees Roman climbing up a fire escape with the case of dust in hand. As police sirens draw nearer, he tosses the case onto the roof, and yells down to her, “Well Red, I think we can all say it’s been an eventful evening, and as much as I’d love to stick around, I’m afraid this is where we part ways.” He then hops onto the roof out of sight.  
With a pained sigh, Ruby got up, and dashed to the fire escape, quickly rushing up, and in a few moments lept onto the roof, landing several feet behind Roman, “Hey!”  
Roman’s face turns to one of annoyance, as he muttered, “Persistent…”  
Seemingly out of nowhere a VTOL appears in front of Roman, opening its side doors allowing him to jump to land inside it. Composing himself before turning again, Roman put his smile back on while pulling a red dust gem from the case. As he turned he tossed the crystal to Ruby’s feet, exclaiming, “End of the line, Red!” he raised his cane once again, and fired a flare at the crystal. Causing it to erupt in a spire of flame, cracking the roof. He leaned on his cane he chuckling, “What a shame, she was quite fun to- Huh?”  
He cut himself off in surprise, seeing not only Ruby not a smoldering corpse, but in front of her casting a circle of protection with her wand, a woman in a pencil skirt, a button up, and a purple cape. Waving her weapon, she creates several purple masses around her, that streak out homing towards the VTOL’s engines. In the chaos of the ship getting hit, Roman stumbles into the cockpit yelling, “They got a huntress!”  
A woman clad in a red, gold accented dress gets out of the co pilot seat and moves to the back.  
During this the Purple caped Huntress pulls out a cartridge of blue dust, emptying it out into the air and using her wand draws it into a circle above the craft, as black clouds form over it. And with a flick of her wrist, wand in hand, large jagged icicles fall into the VTOL, puncturing holes throughout it.  
The woman in the red dress appeared in the back of the vehicle, her burning, yellow eyes along with the symbols on her dress and arms began to glow like flames as she sent out a wave of fire towards Ruby and the huntress, The Huntress managed to create another runed circle to block the immediate area as the rest of the roof around them burned. In response the woman turned her hand up, like a command, and the embers surrounding Ruby and The Huntress begin to light up before exploding. Ruby, using the last of her energy to burst into rose petals, fell out of her dash just after the explosion ended, while the huntress merely jumped out of the way of the epicenter. Then, using the rubble from the roof, she flicked her wand as purple energy surrounded the wreckage from the roof, collecting and forming it into a great spear, that she then hurled towards the vehicle. The Woman held up her hand rapidly firing out bursts of flames in quick succession, shattering the spear. Only for it to reform as several smaller lances surrounding the craft and hurling towards it. Responding quickly, the yellow-eyed woman formed several red rings around the VTOL, and with a hot burst of energy dissipated the arrows.  
Ruby collected herself as she lay on the ground, and with a struggle managed to get her scythe back into its rifle form to fire several shots at the woman, which she nonchalantly blocks with a single hand. And with a motion of her hands, the remaining embers around the two on the roof began to glow bright. In an instant The Huntress creates a runed circle to throw Ruby to safety, as she rolls behind a large piece of debris. As they looked back to the VTOL, which was already flying away.  
She walks over to Ruby, who in a surprisingly energetic voice exclaimed, “You’re a real huntress! Can I have your autograph?!”

Ruby sat in a dark room with a single light, with a look of guilt blanketing her face, as the huntress, who Ruby had learned was a teacher at Beacon named Glynda Goodwitch, paced around the table with a tablet in her hand. “I hope you realize what you did tonight will not be treated with leniency. You put others, and especially yourself in great danger.”  
“But they started it! They were robbing the store!”  
With a quiet sigh, Glynda looks away, “If it were up to me, you’d be home now. Sent away with a pat on the back.” And slamming her riding crop on the desk by her hands, “And a slap on the wrist. But… Much to my dismay, there is someone who would like to speak with you first.”

She moves out of the way as a bespectacled man in a green suit walks through the doorway, holding a plate of cookies.  
“Ruby Rose…” He seemed to notice something and leaned closer to her, “You...have silver eyes.”  
“Uh, um…” she fidgeted uncomfortably.  
Breaking off suddenly, he continued, “So! Where did you learn to do this?” He gestures to Glynda’s tablet that shows her fighting in security footage from the shop. “S-signal Academy.”S he hesitantly responded.  
“They taught you to use one of the most dangerous weapons ever designed?”  
“Well, one teacher in particular.”  
“I see…”  
He placed the plate of cookies on the table in front of Ruby. Tentatively she picked one up, and began eating it. After seeing no rebuttal, she began to shovel the rest into her mouth. The man appeared amused by this, and continued. “ It’s just that I’ve only seen one other scythe-wielder of that skill before. A dusty, old Crow.” Through her full mouth, she responded in a muffled tone, “Oh! Thass ma uncle.” She swallowed her food, and with an embarrassed expression, wiped off her mouth. “Sorry, that’s my Uncle Qrow! He teaches at Signal on occasion. I couldn’t even hold the gardening tool version until he started teaching me personally. But now I can fight with the best of them!”  
“So I’ve noticed.” He sat at the table, staring at her intently. “And what, may I add, Is such a small, young girl, such as yourself doing at a school designed to train warriors?”  
“Well...I want to be a Huntress.”  
“You want to be a slayer of monsters?”  
“Yeah! I only have two more years of training left at Signal! And then I intend to apply at Beacon! My sister is starting there this year. We both want to become Huntresses, and I want to be one ‘cause our parents taught us to help people whenever you can. The police or military are fine, but Huntsmen and Huntresses are just so much more romantic and exciting!” She stared at the two of them with a wide grin, as Glynda and the man stared back, studying her expression.  
“Do you know who I am?” Asked the man suddenly.  
“You’re professor Ozpin. You’re the headmaster at Beacon.”  
A warm smile formed on his face, “Hello.”  
Smiling back Ruby responded earnestly. “Nice to meet you.”  
“You want to come to my school?”  
“More than anything!”  
Ozpin looked over to Glynda, who's face had no intention of hiding her disapproval and frustration. She turned her back as Ozpin continued. “Well, okay.”  
Ruby, shocked, but mouth and eyes wide with excitement, began to stammer her thanks and appreciation, as Ozpin shepherded her out of the room, to allow her to get home. 

As the two professors entered the building once more, Glynda started immediately, “Are you certain you want to allow this? She’s young and far too reckless. She went up to that roof with almost no stamina or aura, and several injuries already. Had I not shown up, she would have with certainty, died.”  
Ozpin didn't respond immediately. After several seconds, “It may have been reckless, but she demonstrates the qualities necessary to be a huntress intent on fighting the wrong in the world.”  
“You’re saying she seems to be pure-hearted? Rather than seeming irresponsible? Even if it were the case, how will she do at Beacon two years early? It’s not an easy task.”  
“Sometimes. An earnest, good soul is more suited to difficult tasks, rather than a survivalists.”  
Glynda stopped her attempts to speak reason, recognizing Ozpin had made up his mind. And side by side they continued down the hall.

Chapter 1: Orientation 

Ruby sat on the main deck of their airship heading to Beacon for the first day of the semester. She wore a deflated expression as her older sister, Yang, paced back and forth their aisle, her flowing, golden hair bouncing with every step, excitedly repeating, "Oh I'm so happy, my baby sister gets to go to Beacon with me! This is the best day ever!" She wrapped her arms around Ruby, picking her up and crushing her in a hug. While being crushed, Ruby gasped out, "Please...stop."  
"But I'm just so proud of you!"  
"It wasn't anything, really I just fought some robbers, and talked to Ozpin"  
"But it was so cool! Everyone's going to think you're the coolest thing since sliced bread 🍞!"  
"I don't want to be the coolest thing since sliced bread! I just wanna be a normal loaf of bread kind of girl! Maybe with a tab of butter on the side."  
"I'm just teasing you, aren't you excited?"  
Ruby sighed," I am excited… I just. I got moved up two years, I don't want people to think I'm getting special attention or something."  
"But you are special." Yang wrapped one arm around her sister, leading her down the deck. A holographic newscast begins to play on the wall by them, the host describing the robbery and asking for information on the whereabouts of the Vale crime boss, Roman Torchwick. A mugshot of him flashes across the screen before switching to footage from a protest from that day. Members demanding civil rights for the animalistic humanoids who share the world with humans, named Faunus, before it was interrupted by a violent extremist faction of the Faunus the newscaster referred to as the White Fang. Abruptly the news is cut off and replaced by a hologram of Glynda Goodwitch.  
She began speaking," Hello, and welcome to Beacon Academy!"  
Yang leaned over to Ruby," Who's that?"  
"My name is Glynda Goodwitch."  
"Oh."  
"You are among the privileged few accepted into our prestigious school! The world we've built is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as the future huntsmen and huntresses of the world, the duty falls to you to uphold it. You've demonstrated the courage and merit to inherit the task, and now it's our turn to provide you with the knowledge and training to protect our world" Glynda continued her speech while Ruby ran to the window to gaze down at the town below, "Wow! I can see Signal from up here. I guess home won't be that far after all." Yang walked up behind and gave Ruby a noogie, "Beacons our home now dork." Ruby shoved Yang's hand away, and smiled at her. "Yeah. I guess you're right."

The airship slowed as it reached the docks of the high-up Beacon Academy. It settled finally, and opened a hatch in its side, extending a ramp down to the ground. Ruby and Yang, alongside the many other arriving students, walked down the ramp and towards the paved path leading to the school’s main building. While looking out from the dock Yang commented, “The view from Vale is great, but has nothing on this.” Her words are left unresponded to, as she turned around, her expression turned blasé learning why. Ruby was excitedly moving back and forth on the path to gaze at the other students weapons, in sentences so fast she was almost difficult to comprehend, “Oh my gosh! That guy’s got a segmented, collapsible staff! And that girl has a Heat Sword!” Before getting out of sight, Yang grabbed the back of Ruby’s hood to hold her still, “Easy there little sis, they’re only weapons.”  
“‘Only Weapons’? They’re a part of us! An extended part of our own bodies! They’re gorgeous!”  
“So why don’t you swoon over your own weapon? Aren’t you excited by it?”  
Ruby pulled out her, currently compact, sniper scythe and begins rocking it like a child. “Of course I love Crescent Rose! It’s just a real nice experience seeing other people’s weapons. It’s like a preview of who they are as a person! Like meeting them for real, but better…”  
“Well how about meeting some of the people for real? Why don’t you go try to make a friend or two of your own?”  
With a sudden nervous tone in her voice Ruby responded, “But...Why would I need to make new friends if I have you?”  
“Well. You can’t follow big sis forever, she’s gonna go her own way eventually, and so are you. Sooooo.” With a wide grin, Yang pulled Ruby’s hood down over her face, and ran off yelling, “Good luuuuck!” Ruby began flailing trying to take her hood off, stumbling backwards until she fells onto something, collapsing to the floor and finally being able to take off her hood. “Get off me you ruffian!” Ruby, shocked and embarrassed, realized she fell on top of another girl. She was incredibly pale, with a side ponytail, and a frilled white dress on a petite frame. Quickly Ruby hopped off her, and extended a hand to help her up. With a Grimace the girl accepted her hand up, and began examining her belongings. Tentatively, Ruby attempted an apology, which was quickly cut off by the girl, “Do you have any idea how much damage you could have caused?” she pulled out a damaged jar of red dust, and began wagging it at Ruby as she scolded her, “This is Dust! Mined and purified in a Schnee Quarry!”  
“Uhm-”  
“Do you have any self awareness at all!? You could have blown up my entire luggage alongside me!” As the girl had been wagging the jar in her face, particles of dust had peppered out of the cracked glass, and towards Ruby’s face.  
“I uh, I didn’t me- *Cough *Cough”  
“Are you even listening to me? Any clue at all? What do you have to say for yourself!”  
As more dust collected around Ruby’s head she eventually sneezed, the force of which activated the dust, resulting in an explosive wave that rushed outward from the two girls. Covering both of them in soot. The girl immediately exploded, “This is exactly what I was referring to! It’s the first day of the semester! Far too early to be acting like a complete dolt! Why are you here? Aren’t you too young to be at Beacon?”  
“Well, I-I uh-”  
“This is a bit more than a standard combat school. It’s far more than sparring and practice, we’re here to fight monsters!”  
“I tried to say I was sorry Princess!”  
A passing student, barely looking up from her book as she walked chimed in. “It’s heiress, actually.” The two girls looked to the newcomer; tall, long black, curly hair. And dressed pretty casually in shorts, leggings, and a black blouse with a large black bow tying her hair back. “Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, one of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world.”  
Smugly, Weiss smiled, “Finally! Some recognition!” The new girl's face turned sour and frustrated, only visible in the narrowing of her amber eyes, before replying. “The same company infamous for its controversial labor forces, and questionable business partners.” She continued to look at her book as she walked away. Now fuming, Weiss yelled after her as Ruby chuckled behind her.  
“Um excuse me, I’m Jaune, you alright after that explosion?” Ruby looked over to the new voice, coming from a rather plain looking blonde guy with just a hoodie and jeans, the only armor on him being a pair of small pauldrons on his arms, and a small chestplate.  
“Um. Hey, I’m Ruby, and ya I’m fine. What about you? You look fit to throw up.”  
“Uh...ya… I get kinda motion sick on airships. And in cars. And boats…” *** They walked down the path talking as they went, “Look all I’m saying is motion sickness is a far more common problem than people will have you believe!” Ruby stifled a laugh, “Maybe I should call you Vomit Boy then.”  
“Oh yeah? What if I called you Magma Mouth?”  
“Hey, that explosion was an accident! And also that name is actually kinda cool.”  
“Well get my name right, its Jaune Arc! Short, sweet, Ladies love it!” Skeptically Ruby cocked an eyebrow, “Do they?”  
“They will!” Well, kinda hoping they will. My mom always says that, ah-...Never mind.”  
Ruby giggled uncontrollably, “You want to see what ladies really love?” She pulls out Crescent Rose, unfolding it completely before posing with the weapon that stood higher than herself.  
“Whoa! Is that a scythe?”  
“It’s also a modular high-impact sniper rifle!”  
“A-wha…?”  
Ruby smiled, “It’s also a large gun.”  
“Oh wow! That’s cool!”  
“So what’ve you got packin’?  
“Oh! I uh…” He unsheathed a broadsword from his hilt. “I got this neat sword!” Ruby looked closely at the sword, admiring it. “Yeah, and I’ve got a shield too!” Pulling up his scabbard onto his arm, it expands into a shield. Ruby touched the shield tentatively, “So, what do they do?”  
“Uh, I can put my sword into my shield, and collapse it down. And then put it away when I’m tired of holding it!”  
“But...Wouldn’t it weigh the same?” Jaune let out a dejected sigh, “Yeah, it does…”  
Ruby smiled sympathetically, “Well, I'm sort of a dork when it comes to weapons, I guess I did go a little overboard when designing it.”  
“Wait - you made that?!”  
“Of course! All students at Signal forge their own weapons. Didn’t you make yours?”  
“It’s a hand-me-down. My great-great-grandfather used it in The War.”  
“Sounds more like a family heirloom to me, but I like it. Not too many people have an appreciation for the classics.”  
“Yeah. Classics.” Jaune stared at his sword for a moment before being interrupted by Ruby, “So why did you come up and talk to me anyways?”  
“Well. Why not? My mom always says, ‘Strangers are just friends you haven’t met yet.’”  
“Huh. Fun sentiment.” Ruby paused to look around. “Hey, where are we going?”  
“Uh. I don’t know, I was following you. Y-you think there might be a directory? Some kind of landmark?” And the two began rushing off to find the orientation hall.

Ruby and Jaune rushed to the main hall, clearly the last ones to arrive. The auditorium was filled with people as Ruby looked around until she heard Yang yelling for her, “Ruby! Over here! I saved you a spot by me!” Ruby turned to Jaune, “Hey, I gotta go! I’ll see you after the ceremony!”  
“Cool-yeah! I’ll uh. See you later.”  
Yang stood with her arms crossed as Ruby walked up to join her. “How’s your first day going, Baby Sister?”  
“You mean after you ditched me and I exploded?”  
“Yikes, meltdown already?”  
“No! I literally exploded in a burst of fire in front of the school.” Yang gave a wide distrusting smile, “Are you being sarcastic?” Ruby’s face turned bitter recounting the event, “I wish! I tripped on top of some haughty girl, knocking over her luggage, and then she yelled at me, and I sneezed, and dust exploded, then she kept yelling, and I felt super duper bad, and I just wanted her to stop yelling at me!” As if on cue, Weiss stormed up behind Ruby noticing her in the crowd. “You!”  
Ruby jumped into Yang's embrace, “Oh God, it’s happening again!”  
Shocked, Yang in a monotone voice, “Oh my God, you really exploded.” Ruby turned to her accuser, “It was an accident! An accident!” Cutting her off, Weiss held up one finger, and handed Ruby a small booklet that simply read, “Beginner’s Guide to Dust.” “Uhm. What’s this?”  
With a blank expression Weiss stated, “You really wanna start making things up to me?”  
“Absolutely!” Weiss pointed at the booklet, “Read this, and don’t ever speak to me again.” Yang interjected, “Look, sounds like you two just got off on the wrong foot. Why not start over and try to be friends?” Ruby put the booklet away, “Yeah! Great idea sis!” She extended her hand to Weiss, “Hello Weiss! I’m Ruby! Wanna hang out? We can shop for school supplies!”  
Weiss, in a barely disguised facade of enthusiasm, “Yeah! And we can paint our nails and try on clothes, and talk about cute boys we like!”  
“Wow, Really?!”  
Weiss’ face immediately went back to its ice cold expression it previously held, “No.”  
Before Ruby could have any sort of retort, the lights in the hall dim, as the main lights turn attention to the main stage, where Professor Ozpin readied the microphone, with Glynda beside him.  
“I’ll...Keep this brief. You’re all here for strength and knowledge. To hone your craft, acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of people, or whatever specialization you intend to pursue. However strength will not grant victory. Nor will knowledge. Not purely. The assumption power or knowledge will free you of a need for purpose or direction, will not get you far. Your time at this school will prove this, and that it’s up to you all, to apply knowledge and power together, and appropriately.”  
As Ozpin left the stage abruptly, Glynda stepped up to the mic. “You will gather in the ballroom to sleep tonight; tomorrow, your initiation begins in earnest. Be ready. You are dismissed.”  
Yang leaned over to Ruby, “He seemed kind of...off.”  
“Yeah, like he wasn’t fully here right now.”

***

With the first night at Beacon, the ballroom is active, with sleeping bags splayed out around the grounds, some students attempting to sleep, some fooling around, and others simply passing time until it quiets down.  
Ruby wrote in her journal about the day, all the experiences, and the people she met. Her concentration was immediately broken however by Yang crashing into the sleeping bag next to her, “Isn’t this neat! It’s like a big slumber party!” Without looking up Ruby dryly responds, “I don’t know if Dad would approve of all the boys, though.”  
“I know I do! Plenty to look at it. Some nice looking girls too.” Her eyes scanned around the room taking in the variety before continuing, “Whatcha writin’?”  
“It’s a journal to record my experiences going to Beacon. Next time I can meet up with my old friends from Signal, I want to be able to tell them everything.”  
“Aw, that’s so cuuuute.” At the tease Ruby threw her pillow into Yang’s face, “Hey, I didn’t get to take my friends with me to school! It’s weird not really knowing anyone but you here.”  
“What about Jaune? He’s...nice, I think. There you go! Another friend to the list, that’s a one hundred percent increase!” Ruby turned away from Yang, “Pretty sure Weiss counts as a negative friend. Back to zero…”  
“There’s no such thing as negative friends! You just made one friend and one enemy!” Seeing no change in Ruby, Yang scooted closer to her, and changed to a softer tone while smiling, “It’s only been one day. Trust your big sis; you’ve got friends all around you. You just haven’t met them yet.” While looking around, Ruby noticed the black haired girl from earlier in the day, leaning against a wall with a single candle by her, reading a book, “Oh, it’s that girl…”  
“You know her?”  
“Not really. She was just there this morning when I exploded. But she left before I could say anything.” Grabbing Ruby’s arm, Yang lifted her up and began to drag Ruby with her, “Well, now’s your chance!”  
“Wait! What are you doing?!”

The Girl cautiously looked up to see Ruby unsuccessfully struggling against her sisters grip, as she was being dragged towards her. After several feet of struggling, Yang stood in front of her and finally let Ruby go, “Hel-looooooo! I believe you two know each other?” Pausing to take it in, the girl responded, “Aren’t you...the girl that exploded?”  
“Uh, yeah! My name’s Ruby! Ruby Rose! But you can call me Magma Mo-...actually you can just call me Ruby...” The girl looked back to her book. “Okay.” Yang whispered to Ruby, “What are you doing?”  
“I don’t know! Help me!”  
“So! What’s your name?” Sighing with slight annoyance, she responded, “Blake.”  
“Well, Blake, I’m Yang! Ruby’s older sister. Dig the bow by the way, super cute!” Now with a more irritated tone, “Thanks!”  
“It uh, looks great on you along with your um… pajamas!”  
“Right…” With both Ruby and Yang now standing in a moment of awkward silence, Yang attempts to break it, “Nice night, don’t you think?”  
“Yes-it’s lovely! Almost as lovely as this book!...That I will continue to read… As soon as you leave.” Yang to Ruby, “Yeah, I don’t think this is going great.” And began to leave, but Ruby continued to talk to Blake, “What’s it about?” Surprised at the question Blake took a pause before responding, “Huh?”  
“Your book. What’s its name?”  
“Well… I-It’s about a man with two souls, both fighting for supremacy in his body.”  
“I love books. Yang used to read to me every night before bed. Stories about heroes and monsters… They’re one of the reasons I want to be a huntress.” Blake let out an amused chuckle, “Why exactly? Hoping to find a happily ever after?”  
“I sort of hope we all will. When I was little, I wanted to be just like those heroes in the stories… Someone who did what was right, and protected everyone who couldn’t protect themselves.”  
“That’s...Ambitious for a child.” Blake’s smile turned back to a slight frown, “Unfortunately for all of us, the real world isn’t quite a fairy tale.”  
“Well, that’s why we’re all here! To make it better!” Yang smiled softly at Ruby, before turning to Blake, “We’ll let you enjoy your book for the rest of the night, it was great meeting you.” Blake returned the warm grin, “It was great to meet you two also.” And she looks back to her book as Ruby and Yang return to their sleeping bags.


	2. Chapter: 2 Rough Landing

Chapter 2: Rough Landing

Morning shines through the tall windows of the ballroom, bathing the scene in a warm glow as students began to get up and get ready for the trials of Beacon.  
Lie Ren opened his eyes wearily, before his best friend Nora’s face filled the entire view, “Wake up Lazy butt!” As Ren slowly got up, Nora began singing while prancing around him, “It’s morning! It’s morning! It’s morning! It’s morning!” Ren got dressed, collected his things, and headed to the communal bathroom to get ready and brush his teeth, Nora gushing the whole way, “I can’t believe we’ve been at Beacon for a full twenty-four hours! Not that I thought we’d get kicked out or anything, you’re the ideal student, and I’m pretty darn swell myself. Just crazy right?” While she brushed her hair, and Ren took care of his own appearance and she continued talking about her amazement at being at Beacon. Ren simply smiled listening to her, satisfied she seemed happy and excited. After they were finished, Ren and Nora moved to the dining hall for breakfast. Nora never leaving a moment of silence, “I mean, we’ve been friends for soooooooooo long! What are the odds of the two of us still working well side by side together! You know? It’s nuts!” Ren smiled and nods, and as they’re eating, Nora still continued, “These pancakes are great! Not as great as yours of course, but hey, close 3rd! Bronze medal all the way! Speaking of winning and teams, I hope we end up on the same one together! Ohhhhh! We should come up with some kind of plan or scheme to ensure you and I are on the same team together! What if we bribe Ozpin? No, that won’t work. He has a school.”  
After breakfast the two of them headed to the locker room along with other students, to get ready for the team-assigning trial. “I know! We can have a signal of some kind! A secret to find each other in the woods! Can you imitate a hummingbird?” Ren finally spoke up, “Nora?”  
“Yes, Ren?” Ren sheathed his bladed handguns. “I don’t think hummingbirds make a lot of noise.” He began walking to leave the locker room. Nora stopped to think for a moment. “That’s why it’s perfect! No one will suspect we’re working together!”  
“Come on Nora, let’s go!” Nora giggled and ran after him. 

Ruby and Yang were getting their combat gear ready, seeing Nora and Ren leaving in such high spirits, Ruby commented, “Wonder what they’re so chipper about?”  
“Who knows, you seem awfully chipper yourself dont’cha think?”  
“Yup! No more awkward small talk and trying to get along.” She pulled out crescent rose, and began to stroke it like a pet, “Today, I get to let my sweetheart talk for me.”  
“Well, uh. Remember Ruby, you’re not the only one going through initiation. If you wanna grow up, you’re going to have to work with people.” Ruby sighed in frustration, “Ugghhh you sound like Daaaaad!”  
“And what about when we have to form teams?”  
“Um, I don’t know… I kind of just figured I would. Be on your team or something…” Yang begab stroking her long, curly blonde hair. “Maybe you should uh, consider you might be on someone else’s team?”  
“My dear sister Yang! Are you implying that you don’t want to be on the same team as me?”  
“What? No! Of course I’d love to be on a team with you… I just kinda, thought it would help you. I don’t know, break out of your shell and make more friends.” Ruby began her own protests as other students prepared themselves.

Weiss intentionally positioned herself by Pyrrha Nikos, a girl with Grenadine Red hair, and a Greek warrior look to her armor and weapons. “So Pyrrha, I don’t suppose you’ve given much thought to whose team you’d like to be on? I’m sure every student must be desperate to unite with such a strong, well-known individual like yourself?” A bit absent mindedly, Pyrrha responded, “Hmm...I’m uncertain. I had intended on letting pieces fall as they may.”  
"Well...I was thinking maybe we could try to be on a team together?” Pyrrha smiled, “Sure, that sounds grand!”  
Weiss was already inside her own mind, fantasizing about a team up with one of the strongest prospective students from Sanctum. An ally as strong as her would be quite the valuable asset. During her fantasies of a social school take-over, her thoughts became interrupted by Jaune’s voice, who had stepped between them. “You know what else is grand? Me. Jaune Arc, nice to meet you.” Weiss in customarily upset tone, “Excuse me, who are you?”  
Pyrrha stands straight, attentively noticing him, “Nice to meet you, Jaune!”  
“What’s going on ladies, heard you’re looking for teammates, well got a strong team player right here!” With a cocked eyebrow and a half-appalled face, Weiss commented, “You’re joking right?”  
“No need to hide your shock, been hearing about teams, thinking I’d make a good one with either one of ya, what do you say?” Pyrrha leans into Jaune’s vision to get his attention, “Actually the teams appear to be comprised of four students each, so-”  
Jaune turns to her immediately, “Well warrior princess, roll the dice well and you could end up on the best team.” He finger guns at her. Weiss, holding herself back, gets between them to confront him, “Jaune, is it? Do you have a clue as to who you’re addressing?”  
“Not in the slightest.”  
“This is Pyrrha. Pyrrha graduated top of her class at Sanctum!” Pyrrha waved from behind Weiss, “Hello again!” Jaune flatly replied, “Never heard of it.” Weiss’ eye twitched slightly before she continues, “She’s won the Mistral Region Tournaments four years in a row! She set the record!”  
“The what?”  
Now visibly angry Weiss yelled, “She’s on the front of every Pumpkin Pete’s Marshmallow Flakes box!”  
Jaune then gasped in surprise, “That’s you?! I loved that cereal as a kid!” “ Yes, it was pretty fun. It’s a shame the cereal was actually quite bad for you however.” She responded sheepishly. Smugly, Weiss folded her arms, “So, after all that, do you really think you’re in any sort of position to ask her to be on a team with you?”  
“I guess not...Sorry…” Jaune hung his head low and began to walk away. Before he could leave, Pyrrha spoke up again, “Actually, Jaune, I think you’d make a wonderful team member!”  
“Really? You shouldn’t flatter me so!” Weiss interjected, “Really you shouldn’t. If you encourage him Pyrrha, he won’t stop.”  
“Really, it’s no bother.” Pyrrha seemed to summon, a shield to her arm, accidentally smacking into Jaune’s head on its way, and flooring him. “Oh! I’m sorry!”

The intercom sounded a chime, then the voice of Glynda Goodwitch played over it, “Would all first-year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation? Again, all first-year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately.  
Weiss and Pyrrha headed to the door once the summons ended. As Pyrrha passed Jaune, she looked down, “It was nice to meet you!” Jaune, still on the ground, “Likewise…”  
Ruby and Yang approach him, and as Ruby helped him up, Yang sarcastically, “Having some trouble there, lady-killer?”  
“I don’t understand. My dad said all women look for is confidence? Where did I go wrong?”  
“Well butting into the middle of them might not have been a great start. Girl’s don’t exactly have a nuclear, solve all, button.” Yang replied in a somewhat miffed tone as she continued on. Ruby patted Jaune on the back and lead him out of the locker room, “Come on, Jaune, let’s go.”

The students gathered at the Beacon Cliff, which overlooked a forest that seemed to go on for miles. In batches they are assigned to different positions on the length of the cliff, Ozpin with one hand on his cane, and the other holding a mug of coffee, gave instructions to each, until finally they came to Ruby’s section. Ozpin assigned each student to a silver tile beside the cliff, then took his position at the end of them with Glynda and her tablet beside him.  
“For years, you have trained to become warriors, and today, we will evaluate the skills you’ve acquired, here in the Emerald Forest.” Glynda continued the instruction, “I’m certain many of you have heard rumors of the assignment of ‘teams.’ Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates… today.” Ozpin took over the instruction once more.  
“These teammates will be with you for the rest of your education here at Beacon. So I would recommend you to pursue someone with whom you can work well.”  
Ruby let out a soft groan.  
“That being said, you will be paired with the first person you make eye contact with after landing.”  
At this, Ruby starts, “What?!”  
“Once you have your initial partner, your next objective will be at the northern end of the forest. There will with certainty be Grimm in the woods between here and there. Do not hesitate to destroy them. Because they won’t hesitate to do the same. You will be monitored and graded on your performance through the Emerald Forest, but we will not intervene. At the northern end you will find an abandoned temple with several ‘relics.’ Each pair will choose one and return here. The item will be regarded, along with your standing and grades. Any questions?”  
Jaune raised his hand, “Uhm sir?”  
Ozpin continued without acknowledging him, “Good! Now, take your positions.” The various students all ready themselves in various positions indicative of their fighting style, and preparedness for the first task of the trial, excluding Jaune who was still raising his hand, “Sir? A uhm. A question?” He continued, not noticing the students behind him, one by one being flung out into the woods by the tile. “So, this landing, strategy thing? So uh, wha-what is it? We getting dropped off or something?”  
Ozpin looked at Jaune, his face unchanging, and in an incredibly frank and plain tone, “No. You will be falling.”  
“Oh, I see. So uhm. Did I miss the parachute line.”  
“Not quite. ‘Landing strategy’ refers to your own.”

As time reaches Yang’s turn, she turns to her sister; gives a reaffirming wink, then put on a pair of aviator glasses, and was flung into the air, yelling in delight as she went. Shortly after Ruby is sent off behind her.  
Still oblivious to the situation, Jaune continued, “So how do we develop this landing strategy thing? Was there a class I misSSSS!...” He was immediately flung off the cliff. Ozpin observed the line of students plunging towards the earth, and took a sip of his drink. 

The students all fell downwards towards the earth, each with different methods to break their fall. Ruby fired several shots from her rifle, before transitioning to its scythe form, catching a tree branch to descend slower. Weiss, using her rapier as channeler, produced several glyphs to slow her descent, then created platforms to gracefully reach the forest floor. Ren used his bladed pistols to cut into the trunk of a tree, descending down in a spiral. Yang conversely, used her shot gauntlets to propel her further, cheering as she flew before finally descending to the ground, rolling, and ending with a 3 point landing. Elsewhere, Pyrrha had a more forceful landing, positioning her shield in front of her, she crashed through tree after tree before slowing down enough to land on a branch. She surveyed around her before spotting Jaune flailing about as he fell. Without hesitation, she converted her rifle into a javelin, aiming in Jaune’s direction; she took a moment to calculate her throw, took a breath, and hurled it towards him. Jaune conversely, saw a spear hurtling towards him. For a moment he closed his eyes, accepting death, before he felt a tug on his hoodie, then a thunk. Opening his eyes, he realized he was pinned up to a tree by the weapon. Somewhat embarrassed for giving up, he yelled out, “Thank you!” In reply he heard the faint voice of Pyrrha, “I’m sorry!”

Ruby reached the forest floor, and began to run through it in the northern direction, repeating to herself as she went, “Gotta find Yang! Gotta find Yang! Oh but what if I don’t find her? This is bad, real real bad. What if someone else partners with her first? Uhm… Who else do I know. There’s Jaune. He’s uh. Nice. I don’t think he’d be that useful in a fight though… Uhm. What about Blake? She seems uh. Cultured? She might be a good partner. Who else do I know? Yang, Jaune, and Blake, who else. Oh there’s!-” Ruby cut herself off as she entered a small clearing, with Weiss standing at the end of it. Quickly she dug her heels into the ground to stop herself just in time for Weiss to turn around and have their eyes meet. Both standing with a shocked expression, as a pregnant pause sat between the two girls. Weiss turned her back on Ruby and began walking away from her. Ruby followed behind timidly as she called after her, “Wait! Weiss where are you going?! We’re supposed to be teammates now!” Weiss continued ahead through bushes before she heard struggling ahead of her. Looking up she saw Jaune pinned to a tree struggling to free himself. And with a pained sigh, she turned around, passing Ruby and grabbing her by the hood and began dragging the girl with her. “By no means does this make us friends.”  
In a joyous tone Ruby exclaimed, “I’m so happy you came back for me!”  
Eventually Weiss stopped dragging Ruby and walked briskly ahead of her. Ruby keeping up behind her asked, “What’s the hurry Weiss? Not like we’re going to fail for being a little slow.”  
Without looking back to Ruby, “I won’t let our first mission be delayed because my teammate is too slow! And if I get a poor grade because of you, I wi-” In a flash of rose petals Ruby appears right next to her, “I’m nowhere near slow, see? You don’t have to be concerned about me holding you back!” Shocked, and slightly amazed Weiss murmured, “When did you?”  
“Weiss, I may not be able to talk to people well, and I might make poor first impressions. But I can deal with monsters!” Ruby puts an arm around Weiss. In response her face turns sour as Ruby continues, “You’ll see what I’m capable of! And will have no choice but to be my bestest friend!”  
Weiss shrugs off Ruby’s arm and continues walking ahead, “We’ll see just how well you do when we see some Grimm, then I’ll tell you what I thi-.” She cuts herself off upon seeing a pair of bright red eyes in the bushes ahead of her, followed by Growls surrounding the two girls as they ready themselves. 

Yang walked through the woods at a very relaxed pace, yelling out, “Helloooooooo? Anyone around me? I’m getting bored! Seriously is anyone around at all?” She hears a rustling from behind her in the bushes. “Ruby? That you in there?” Trudging out of the bushes a pair of Grimm that looked similar to bears, called “Ursa”, begun to stand off against Yang, rising up and roaring.  
“Nope.”  
One quickly charged her, with a smug grin, Yang jumped up, tapping the passing Ursa as she lept over it. The other charged her before she landed. Her grin turned to full smile as she lands a punch to its face with her gauntlets. First a crack sounds under her fist, then she activates the shotgun in her weapons, sending the beast flying back, its face cracked open and groaning. The original Ursa, now recovered, charges at her once more. Yang charges right back at it, before she slides underneath the bear monster, shotgunning several more shots into its underside on her way, as it roared in pain. Getting up, Yang bounces on her feet, enjoying herself, “Say, you two studs wouldn’t happen to have seen a little girl in a red hood would ya?” The ursai growl menacingly at her. “You coulda just said ‘no’, you know?” The scarred Ursa stands up on its hind legs to swipe at her violently. She dodges the attacks with relative ease, before laughing and beginning to taunt them. “Man you guys are no fun at all, you can’t even hit a girl standing right in fro…” She stops as she sees a tuft of her hair fall to the ground. With a devastated expression, she inspects her hair to see a clear cut in it. “You…” She continues to mumble until finally she closes her violet eyes, only to open them and see they’re now red. And screams, “You Bastards!!!”  
Fire bursts out from her gauntlets, her eyes smoldering while her hair dances like flames. She rushes towards the scarred Ursa, delivering a flurry of punches into it, blasting off bits of flesh, and holes into it, before one final kick sends it flying into a tree, sending both to the ground. She turns to the other Ursa with wild, flaming eyes, and yells at it, “What! You want some too you punk-ass bitch?!” At the threat, the remaining Ursa whimpers and runs off into the woods.  
In a tree watching the battle conclude, Blake marvels at Yang, seeing her trounce the monsters, “Oh my.” She jumps down to meet with Yang, who is panting in exhaustion after her rage starts to subside. As their eyes meet, Yang’s eyes immediately turn back to violet. The two partners smile at each other before Yang stands up confidently, “So! Come here often?”  
Weiss and Ruby stand ready in the middle of a small clearing, surrounded by wolf like Grimm named Beowolves. Ruby immediately rushes into the trees in a burst of petals, one of which gets in Weiss’ mouth. As she spits it out, she yells after Ruby, “H-hey! Where are you going? Ugh!” As the beasts edge closer, Weiss to herself thinks, Calm. Remember your training, Weiss. Everything you went through. Head up, shoulders back, right foot forward. Slightly back, too far. Steady your breath, wait for the opportune moment. And… She brings her rapier up, the dust revolver chamber spinning to red ...Now! She dashes forward with the help of one of her glyphs, towards what appears to be the lead beowolf. Before she could strike however, Ruby appeared in a cloud of rose petals, attacking the same one with her scythe and landing a hit on it. “Ha ha! Gotcha!” Weiss’ eyes widen with shock, as she has to quickly dig her heels into the ground, swinging her sword off to the side as a needle of flame shoots out of it, immolating a tree, and quickly setting the surrounding brush ablaze. Ruby becoming distracted by the flames, barely managing to defend herself when the beowolf scratches at her, knocking Ruby backwards right into Weiss, sending them both to the floor, “Hey, watch it!” Weiss immediately loses her temper. “Excuse me! You attacked out of turn and I very nearly killed you!” Quieter Ruby replies, “You’d have to do a lot more than that…”  
The beasts howl and whine around them, and the girls ready for more fighting, until a burning tree falls near them. Weiss grabs Ruby’s hands and runs off with her, leading her out of the blaze as it consumes the brush and sends the grimm running. Weiss continues dragging Ruby a ways away until confident they’re both safe. Weiss leans over panting from the panicked exertion. Ruby exclaims, “What was that?! That was an easy fight!”  
“Well maybe if you had exercised even the most infinitesimal amount of caution, or god forbid, team coordination, maybe I wouldn’t have set the woods on fire!”  
Ruby scoffs, “What is that supposed to mean?”  
“I’m just surprised someone who talks so much would communicate so little during a combat encounter!”  
“Well, I’m sorry you need my help to win a fight. I’m just fine on my own!”  
Weiss nearly erupts, before calming herself, and with a grimace, pivots away from Ruby, and began to walk off on her partner again. Ruby in agitation yells, and pulls out her scythe to cut a tree in two in frustration, before following behind. 

Jaune hung from the tree for some time, shouting after everyone he could see that passed him. At one point, he saw Weiss, only for her to turn around immediately. From below Pyrrha calls up to him, “Jaune?” He looks down to her as she continues, “You wouldn’t happen to have any spots left on your team?” Crossing his arms, “Very funny…” After a moment he looks down at her to give a smile, which she returns. She helped him down and retrieved her spear. Then after reaffirming they were both unharmed, continued on their path North. “I’ll admit Pyrrha, I’m really glad I get to be your teammate for several years. I mean, you probably could have picked anyone you wanted right? I’m not really the best at any sort of thing.”  
Humble as ever, “Ha ha. Perhaps. But don’t sell yourself short! There are plenty of attributes to a person besides combat.” They continued for a ways before hearing the sounds of combat, and seeing smoke in the distance. Jaune comments, “What’s going on there?”  
“Gunfire. It seems likely a few of our comrades have made contact with the enemy.”

Continuing onward, Jaune still faces the sound’s direction following Pyrrha. She lifts a branch to let herself through, releasing it behind her right into Jaune’s face. In an instant he’s back on the floor. Pyrrha whirls around, “Jaune! I’m sorry!” Jaune laughs it off, checking his face to see a gash on his cheek. “It’s okay. Just a scratch, nothing I haven’t dealt with before!”  
“Why didn’t you activate your Aura to protect yourself?”  
“My what?”  
“Your Aura?”  
“Oh, never eaten it.”  
‘Jaune, do you… know what Aura is?  
“Psch! Of course I do! Definitely! Uhm. Do you know what Aura is?” Pyrrha delights at the chance to teach him, and begins. “Aura is the manifestation of our soul. It bears our burdens and shields our hearts. Have you ever felt a presence watching you without knowing if someone was there?”  
“Uh...yeah.”  
“Well, with practice, our Aura can be our shield. Everyone has it, even animals do.”  
“What about the monsters?” Pyrrha looks down with a serious expression, “No. The monsters we fight, The Grimm. They are anonymity, and darkness in their purest manifestation. We, conversely, are the light.”  
“Right! That’s why we fight them, right?” Pyrrha gently closes Jaune’s eyes with her fingertips.  
“Why isn’t necessary; It’s about knowing. Understanding dark and light helps us to manifest our own Aura. Everyone has some of both inside of them. Baring your soul outward, it becomes a force. You can deflect harm. All of our tools and equipment serve as conduits for Aura, an extension of your will. In a way you protect yourself and your soul when fighting.” Jaune opens his eyes with a realization, “It’s like a force field!” Pyrrha giggles, “Yes, if you wish to look at it that way.” She walks up to him and touches her hands to both sides of this head, her fingers gently pressing onto his temples. “Now, close your eyes again and concentrate.” Somewhat nervously, Jaune complies. “Uhh...okay.” Pyrrha smiles and closes her own eyes. Her skin glows a faint red, concentrating in her hands. To herself, For it is in passing we achieve immortality. Through this we become a paragon of virtue and glory that rises above all, infinite in distance and no longer bound by death. She moves one of her hands to his chest, pressing her palm lightly into him. I release your soul, and through my life, by my own shoulder protect thee. Her red aura begins to fade, as now Jaune produces a white aura around himself. Pyrrha hunches over, slightly winded. Jaune opens his eyes, to see a field glowing around him, but immediately grew concerned seeing Pyrrha. “Pyrrha? You okay?” Pyrrha gets up, smiling reassuringly, “I’m quite alright. I used my Aura to unlock your own, but from here on, the energy that protects you is your own.” The gash on Jaune’s face begins to close and vanish quickly. She grins and gives a soft clap, “You have quite a lot of it.” Jaune looks to his own hands, amazed as the glow begins to fade. 

Lie Ren continued his solo walk through the woods, coming into a section of tall grass. Halfway through the vegetation, he stopped, and began to look for something he couldn’t see. Turning cautiously from side to side, only to see the grass shift, but no sign of his stalkers. Finally Ren realizes he’s being surrounded not by a group, but the single large body of a snake Grimm. It’s large head, the size of a dresser, at last revealing itself as it lunges out to attack Ren. He jumps up to avoid its initial strike, only for it to recover instantaneously, to lunge again. Ren lands on its snout, using it as a platform to launch away from the coil. He landed in a crouch, and the snake began to encircle him once more. Ren pulled out his weapons to begin firing a hail of shots at the creature as jumping onto its body, running up the length of it towards the head. Where he made a slash towards its eye. The snake recoiled to dodge the first attack, as it countered Ren hooked into its snout, to swing around and stab into its left eye. Ren landed, not noticing the other half of the serpent, a white headed variant, behind him. It launched its head toward him, finally making noise for Ren to notice. Jumping out of the way as the Black head slithered towards him now, the white head trying to flank. Thinking quickly, Ren leapt onto the body, firing at the white head, causing it to recoil to protect its eyes. Suddenly, the black head of the snake blindsided Ren, knocking his weapons away, and him to the ground. As it lunged to strike, Ren concentrated Aura into his arms and hands, gripping the fangs of the black head. Struggling and being pushed back as he does. Ren grunts as he grips the fangs. Gritting his teeth he cracks the fangs out of the reptile grimm’s mouth. With a horrid shriek, the creature began to flail to the ground, Ren ran up, jabbing the fangs into its eye. He gathered aura into his hand, and palms the back of the fangs, propelling them further into its head, and rupturing its other side, the left side of the head bursting out in a shower of black fluid. The black half-headed side flails about, spewing the liquid all about before falling on top of its white half. Ren wastes no time rushing down the pinned white head, grabbing his weapons as he goes. Jabbing the pistols into its eye and firing the rest of his clip into it. It began to writhe a bit before finally settling, the “blood” oozing out of it.  
Ren puts away his weapons, breathing heavily after the encounter. Above him he hears a strange guttural tweeting. He looks up to see Nora hanging upside down by her legs from a tree branch. Ren gives a chuckle, “I’m still pretty sure that’s not how a hummingbird would sound.” Nora laughs back before tapping his nose, “Boop!” He laughs again. 

Ozpin and Glynda stand at the cliff, watching from their tablets, several perspectives showing all the students. After seeing Ren and Nora be paired up, Glynda comments, “Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren. That poor boy… I can’t imagine them working well together, it seems like she’d drive him wild. *sigh. Still, they’re probably better off than poor Miss Nikos.” Ozpin gives a dispassionate, “Mmmm…”  
“I don’t care what his transcripts say. That Jaune boy is not ready for this level of combat. I suppose we’ll find out soon enough, with their current pace, they should reach the temple in a few minutes. Speaking of which, what did you use as ‘relics’ this year?” He gives no response. “Professor Ozpin?” He doesn’t answer, silently watching the tablet with interest, as Ruby is sitting in the grass picking at stray leaves, while Weiss seems to walk in random directions, before convincing herself otherwise.

Weiss walks towards one direction. “It’s definitely this way.” Before she stops to reconsider, then goes the opposite direction, “I mean. This way! It’s definitely this way!” A moment passes before she walks up to Ruby stopping in front of her. “It’s official: We passed it.”  
“Weiss, why can’t you just admit you have no idea where we’re supposed to go?”  
“I know exactly where we’re going! To the...Forest… Temple.” Ruby sighs in frustration, before going back to what she was doing.  
“Oh stop it! You have no idea where to go either!”  
“At least I don’t pretend like I know everything.”  
“And what is that supposed to mean?”  
Ruby stands up to face Weiss, “It means you’re a haughty, high on yourself, self assured princess!” Weiss’ gaze turns harsh as Ruby continues. “You act like you’re perfect! Like you can’t mess up. Like you’re somehow better than me…”  
“For the last time, I’m an heiress. Not princess. I’m not perfect...yet.” Weiss turns around to continue walking away, assured of her new direction. “And I know I’m leagues ahead of you.”  
Ruby looks down dejectedly before following Weiss to not be alone, “You don’t even know me…”

They walked together in silence for a time, until Ruby spoke up, “Oh I had a thought!”  
Quietly Weiss commented, “Well that’s a new sentiment…”  
“What if we tried getting high up to see where we need to go?” Weiss gave a sigh, “That’s actually a decent plan, why don’t yo…” as Weiss turned, she saw Ruby had already disappeared up a tree. “Of course, I don’t why I expected anything else.”  
From the top of the tree, Ruby surveyed the area, nearly heading back down after not spotting the temple. But gasping in excitement after spotting a large Grimm on the ground in a clearing not too far. She recognized it as a Nevermore. A large corvid like Grimm, that acted the part. She had always been a fan of Grimm, even knowing they were monsters bent on destruction who killed people, something about their appearance and mannerisms attracted her to them. Even encouraging her to collect and build figures based on her favorites. In excitement she rushed down to Weiss who stood straight, with her arms crossed waiting. “So? Did you see anything to tell us where we should go?”  
“Not quite! But I did see a way for us to get even higher up!”  
“Well, can’t be any worse than walking lost through the woods.”

Yang and Blake exit the forest to a clearing, in the center of which is a large circular stone temple. They walk up to the old decrepit structure looking around to see on pedestals, gold and black chess pieces. Some of which already missing. Yang looks quizzically at one of them, “Chess pieces? Doesn’t that feel a little cliche?” Blake looks closer at the black king. “I suppose we’re meant to pick one.”  
“Do you think it matters which?”  
“I don’t think so. At least I can’t imagine a grading reason for any of them.” While Blake looked at the Black pawn, Yang called for her, “Hey Blake!” She turns to look at Yang. “I thought you were the missing piece of my life, buuuut turns out I’m more of a horse girl!” She holds up the golden Knight piece. Blake chuckles smiling, “Sure, looks great.”  
“That wasn’t too hard a trial!”  
“You’re right, this place wasn’t that difficult to find.”

Jaune and Pyrrha stand at the mouth of a dark cavern, where old drawings line the walls, of men fighting against Grimm. Jaune chimes in, “This has gotta be it!” He manages to create a torch using some spare cloth and a stick. Walking in the dark for a while Pyrrha began to have doubts. “Jaune, I don’t know if this is the place.” Jaune sighs, “Pyrrha, I made the torch. Could you humor me for like, five more feet?” Jaune continues for 5 more feet before tripping, his torch falling into a puddle of water and extinguishing. Pyrrha walks up to help him. “Jaune, do you...feel that?”  
“The soul crushing regret? That’s usual for me.”  
“No, it’s...like a humming in the air.”  
Feeling their way through the dark, they come across a glowing object. Golden and round, with a pointed tip on the end. Jaune in excitement, “That has to be it! That has to be one of the relics!” He reaches for it as it moves away from his grasp. He tries again, and again, edging further away from Pyrrha, who was growing more worried, “Jaune…? I’m unsure if that’s the relic.” Jaune finally catches the lure, as its lowered to the large, mandible filled, arachnid mouth of a Deathstalker Grimm. 

Pyrrha frantically rushes out of the cave, with the deathstalker crashing out of the cave behind her, Jaune still dangling from its stinger, yelling for help. Pyrrha, hearing Jaune’s plees, turns to fight. Readying her shield and spear, and yelling to him, “Jaune! Whatever you do, don’t let-” Before she could finish, Jaune is flung by the tail, off into the distance.

Jaune’s screams echo all the way to the temple, Yang turns towards the source. And nudges Blake with her elbow, “Sounds like some girl’s having a good time, eh Blake? Did you hear the scream?” Blake was staring up at the sky, trying to decipher what it was. A black mass with a red and white dot flailing on it.

Weiss and Ruby were clinging desperately to the nevermore as it was flying through the sky, the wind blowing so harsh and loud the girls need to shout to hear each other. “Ruby! I admit I was wrong! This is far worse than walking lost through the woods!”  
“This is fine! There’s no need to be worried!”  
“I am beyond worried!”  
“Well, why don’t we just jump off then?  
The wind gets harsher, forcing Weiss to close her eyes, “Are you stupid, and insane?” There’s no response as the wind calms enough for her to open her eyes. Seeing Ruby is no longer on the nevermore with her, and currently plummeting towards the ground. “Oh, you insufferable little red-hooded child!”

On the ground Yang is still attempting to get a response from Blake, “Didn’t you hear those screams? Should we go try and help?” Blake finally points towards the shape she’s been watching, now being able to see clearly Ruby falling towards them screaming. Yang, in a panicked state, readies herself to catch her sister. Only for Jaune to impact Ruby from the side, sending her at an angle into the ground, and him flailing into a tree above her. Groaning as she gets up in a daze.  
Blake turns to Yang, “Why did your sister just fall from the sky?”  
“I…”  
Yang is cut off by crashing and explosions coming from the woods, as an Ursa flails out of the woods with Nora riding on it, blasting its back to pieces with her weapon in its grenade launcher form, “You’ve yee’d your last haw!” With one last pink burst, the grimm groans, and falls to the ground dead. “Aww… I broke it.” Ren runs up behind her out breath, “Nora! Please never rush off like that again!” As he looks up, he sees Nora has already moved off to the temple ahead of him. Nora stares at the golden rook, marveling at it. Before snatching it up, “Finally the queen gets a castle!” Ren continuing an attempt to catch up to her, “Nora!” She giggles before skipping down to meet him.  
Yang still attempting to process the previous happenings turns to Blake. Blake, matter of factly wondering, “Was she riding that Ursa the whole way here?”  
“I… I don’t”  
Yang is interrupted once more by a screech emanating from the woods as Pyrrha runs out of them, followed by the deathstalker bursting out, uprooting trees as it went. Turning around to face it finally.  
Again Blake bluntly comments, “Did she run all the way here while being chased by a Deathstalker?” Yang ponders for a moment still attempting to sort through the now two previous instances. Her thinking is interrupted by Ruby running up and hugging her, “Yang!”  
“Ruby!” She hops down out of her sisters hug, “Blake!” She smiles, “Hello Ruby.”  
“Nora is also here!” Chimed in Nora. Ren finally runs over leaning onto Nora’s shoulder still panting.  
Ruby finally remembers her situation and looks up, scanning for Weiss. Blake and Yang follow suit looking up.

Weiss lost her grip on the feathers, falling shortly before gripping onto the nervermore’s talons. Shouting, “How could she leave me?!”  
On the ground looking up, Blake comments, “She’s gonna fall.” Ruby tries to reassure, “She’ll be fine.” Ren corrects her, “She’s falling.”  
After gathering himself, Jaune notices Weiss falling from the sky screaming. He readies himself, waiting for the correct time before leaping out of the tree to catch her, not accounting for the laws of physics. He attempts a pick up line, “Just, dro-” being cut off as her momentum drags them both down faster. Jaune lands first, breaking Weiss’ fall and taking the brunt of the force. In a somewhat mocking tone, Weiss thanks him, “My hero.” Before getting up and dusting herself off. Jaune groans getting up.  
Nora claps at the rescue cheering. Before their attention is drawn to Pyrrha, who is flung to the feet of Nora and Ren. Sarcastically, Yang comments, “Gang’s back together! Now we can all die as a group!” Ruby smirks, “Not if I can do anything about it!” And she rushes towards the Deathstalker. Yang calling after her, “Ruby wait! Not alone!”  
She ignores her sister, rushing towards the scorpion monster, firing off her rifle to build speed, she readies her scythe to cut it in half, only for it to knock her away with one of its claws. She falls to the ground with a thud. Getting up, she turns to face the Deathstalker, firing several rounds into its face-plate only for them to harmlessly bounce off its hardened exterior. Yang begins running towards her sister, “Ruby! Get out of there!” She’s interrupted by giant feathers falling into her path and towards her, along with the rest of the group. The Nevermore caws, clearly intent on keeping them separated. One of the feathers, plunged into Ruby’s cloak, leaving her pinned. She tried to tear at the cloak to no avail, beginning to panic as the Deathstalker got closer. Yang still trying to reach her, calling out. The Deathstalker reached Ruby, and launched its stinger towards her, Ruby held her arms out and closed her eyes.

A few seconds pass as Ruby realizes she’s in fact, not dead, and opens her eyes to see Weiss in front of her, and the Deathstalker’s tail stinger encased in ice. “Weiss?”  
Weiss lowers her weapon, “You are so childish. And dim-witted at times, and hyperactive. And your fighting style is vulgar. And I am at times...difficult… but if we’re going to do this, we’ll do it together.” She cuts the feather Ruby was stuck on to free her. “So if you stop trying to show off, I’ll be… nicer.”  
“I’ve never been trying to show off Weiss. I want you to know that I’m not useless. That I can work with you.” Weiss begins walking away, before turning back to Ruby, “You’re fine Ruby.” The two girls rush back to the group, as Yang runs to Ruby, hugging Ruby so tight, and lifting her, Ruby begins having trouble talking. “I’m so happy you’re okay Ruby!”  
Jaune in the back calls out, “Guys? That bird looks like its circling back! What are we gonna do?” Ruby quickly yells out, “Our mission is just to grab the relics and head to the cliffs over the hill! They’re right here, let’s grab them together and go! We don’t have to fight these things unless they’re blocking us.” Weiss smiles at her seeing she seems to have her head straight again.

The students all run over and grab relics that catch their eye. And begin running in the direction of the end of the trial. With Ruby at the head of the pack leading the others away. Bringing up the rear, Yang stops for a moment admiring her sister. Blake comes up behind her, “What is it?” Yang smiles at Blake before tapping her on the shoulder, “Nothing, let’s go!”

They exit another section of woods, to be met by a series of abandoned old structures, precariously over a misty abyss between the Forested land and their destination. The Nevermore landing on one of the buildings between them and the cliffs. Yang exemplifying the groups feelings shouting out, “Well, that’s annoying!” Taking in their first threat, as the Nevermore shoots out feathers striking all around them.  
They’re surprised when the Deathstalker bursts out of the trees behind them. Thinking quick, Ren yells for Nora to distract the Nevermore.  
Obliging the request, she jumps through the feathers, skidding to a halt and firing a volley of grenades in a heart shape. They explode into pink bursts of electricity, rippling throughout its body as it screeches, taking off. Unable to notice the Deathstalker behind her, Blake and Ren run to stop it. In unison stabbing out one of its eyes on each side, before being forced back by its claws. Giving a shrill insect like hiss, it continues to chase after Blake and Ren.  
“Go, go!” Pyrrha shouts for everyone to get across the bridge to the cliff as she pulls out her spear, converting it to its rifle form, and firing several shots at the scorpion, to join with Ren’s shots as he’s retreating. With the eight of them together, they continued to run across the bridge, Not able to perceive the Nevermore flying up from the abyss, shattering the bridge through the middle, separating them with Ruby, Weiss, Yang, Nora, and Jaune at the central columns. And Blake, Ren, and Pyrrha left on the side with the Deathstalker. Ruby immediately begins firing at the Nervoremore to no effect.  
Jaune runs to the side of the broken bridge calling back, “We gotta get over there! They need help!” Nora runs up next to him switching , “You got it!” He looks down the abyss, “But, uh… I can’t make the jump, how do we get across?”  
Nora smiled mischievously before knocking Jaune behind her on the platform they’re standing on, and rearing up her hammer. Jaune voices a light protest, too late as Nora slams her hammer into the end of the platform, catapulting Jaune to the other side, and her halfway. Propelling herself the rest of the way standing on her hammer, and firing out its energy. With the residual force she flew over her comrades, and brought her hammer down onto the faceplate of the Deathstalker, cracks forming along the edges where she hit. As the stinger comes down to strike her, she pulls the trigger on her hammer, firing the blast from it again propelling her back into Blake, knocking her off the edge.  
Thinking quick Blake launches her whip blade up, catching on the bridge and allowing her to swing upwards, onto the back of the Nevermore. Using her sword, she runs down its length, slashing as she goes, jumping at the end to land on the central platform with Ruby, Yang and Weiss.  
“Dang those feathers can take some punishment.” Yang comically, “So we just gotta hit it harder right?”  
The Nevermore begins approaching them head on, as the girls switch their weapons to fire ranged, and unleash a volley of elemental bursts at the bird. In a spiral it dodges the brunt of them while shaking off the few that hit, and crashes into the central platform, shattering it and sending the girls leaping from falling stone to stone, Weiss shouts over the destruction, “That won’t work, we need some kind of concentrated attack to do damage!” Ruby finds a stable column to stand on, watching the other girls attacking the large grimm to no avail. Thinking for a moment. She shouts, “I have a plan! I need you all to cover me!” Weiss nods at her.

On the platform connected to the forest, the other four continued fighting against the Deathstalker. Pyrrha rushed at it, deflecting its first swiping claw, only to see its other coming at her. Jaune blocks it with his shield, managing to knock it back to create an opening for Pyrrha to leap up off of him, to attack its face. Ren jumps off of a piece of rubble to grab onto the Deathstalker’s tail. Jamming his bladed pistol into its base and firing into it as his teammates occupy its claws. Pyrrha hurls her javelin into one of the scorpion’s eyes, causing it flail about in pain, flinging Ren off in the process. “Ren!” Nora calls after Ren as he’s flung into the side of a stone block, and falling to the ground with a thud, not getting up. Jaune takes in the situation, noticing the stinger loosely hanging onto the rest of its tail. “Pyrrha!” in an instant she understood his intention, and shouted, “Done!” Hurling her shield like a discus, slicing through the base of the stinger, causing it to fall into the already cracked section of the Death Stalker’s head, as Pyrrha retrieves the rebounding shield. Jaune turns to Nora, “Nora, do what hammers do best!” Nora nods, running up to Pyrrha, who holds her shield up, crouching like a platform, launching Nora as she fires into Pyrrha’s shield, propelling her further into the air. Nora rides her hammer for a few seconds, smiling as she does, before readying her hammer, falling and slamming her hammer into the stinger, crunching it into the Deathstalker’s head as she yells out, “Nailed it!” The residual force crushing the platform beneath them. Jaune and Pyrrha leap over the creature, using its mass as a step, and Nora launching herself once more to avoid falling into the abyss. Each with varying levels of success, Jaune landing on his back, Nora on her butt, and Pyrrha landing in a crouched position. Ren walks over to them all, before collapsing. 

The Nevermore continued circling the girls, occasionally striking out to attack as its peppered with their dwindling ammunition. Yang manages a blow to its face, drawing its aggression. Rushing at her, the creature opened its mouth wide seeming to try and swallow her. Yang jumps up onto its open maw, holding its mouth open with her arms and legs, as she fires several burning shots into its throat, shouting, “I! Hope! You’re! Hungry!” Looking back in time she sees it flying towards one of the ruins, she jumps off to safety, the Grimm crashing into the building, collapsing it around them.  
Yang smiles as she looks back to see Ruby and Blake on the broken center path, she runs back to them, passing Weiss who is running towards the Nevermore.  
Not taking too long to recover, the grimm begins to lift off, attempting to take flight again, as Weiss ran up readying her rapier, spinning the chamber to white dust. Before it could fly up, she shot a needle of ice into its tail, keeping it frozen to the base of the cliff, then producing a glyph allowing her to backflip back onto the platform, regrouping with the other girls.  
Blake fires the pistol part of her bladed gun-whip, propelling it around the column beside them as Yang catches it, both of them now tightening the ribbon like whip of it into a rope between the columns. Ruby then jumped onto the center of the ribbon with Crescent Rose, bending it back to where Weiss produced a back glyph to hold Ruby next to her. “Of course you would come up with this kind of thing for a plan Ruby.”  
“Think you can make the shot?  
“Hm! Can I!”  
She changes the glyph from black to red, shooting Ruby forward at a speed causing the ground beneath her launch to crack and splinter, firing as she goes to build even more speed until she closes in on the flapping Nevermore, catching its neck with her scythe’s blade, landing them both against the cliff’s wall. Weiss races forward, producing a series of white glyphs up the length of the cliff as a path for Ruby. In the next instant she charges up the wall, firing as she goes building up more and more speed, dragging the beast up the cragged surface, both beast and girl screaming as they went. Rose petals flying off Ruby as she keeps going faster, finally reaching the top of the cliff, and with one final shout, slamming its head into a rock jutting out from the cliff, her scythe blade cutting into the flesh of the bird’s neck and finally rending the Nevermore’s head from its shoulders in a shower of rose petals. She lands next to the severed head on the cliff, as the girls, and farther away, Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren watch the Nevermore’s gargantuan corpse fall down the cliff into the abyss, dissipating as it went.  
Yang cheers, hugging Blake, lifting her off the ground and spinning as she cheers. Blake accepting it, and Weiss glad she isn’t being crushed. And Ruby walks to the side of the cliff looking to them all and smiling.


	3. Chapter 3: But for Real This Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's where I start adding quite a bit to extend the school year, and just have fun. So I hope you like school life.

  
Chapter 3: But For Real This Time   
  
All the first year students were gathered in the auditorium once more. With Ozpin calling up students in fours, with the screen showing each one’s ID picture, and receiving their team name. “Russel Thrush. Cardin Winchester. Dove Bronzewing. Sky Lark. The four of you retrieved the black bishop pieces. From this day to graduation, you will work together as Team CRDL, led by… Cardin Winchester.    
The audience claps as the next four students are summoned to the stage, their faces being projected onto the screen. “Jaune Arc. Lie Ren. Pyrrha Nikos. Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From here to graduation, you will work together as Team JNPR. The audience claps as Nora gives Ren a hug while beaming. Jaune looks over to Pyrrha, thinking he was happy to get to be on a team led by her. As Ozpin continued, “Led by...Jaune Arc!” He looks over to Ozpin with a shocked expression blanketing his face, “Huh? L-Led by?”   
“Congratulations, young man.”   
Pyrrha walks over with a huge grin, and delivers a friendly shoulder bump to Jaune. The boy, still in shock, falls over at the push, much to the chagrin of the audience.    
As he was being carried off by Pyrrha, the next four stepped up.   
“And finally: Blake Belladonna. Ruby Rose. Weiss Schnee. Yang Xiao Long. The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From here to graduation, you will work together as Team RWBY. Led by...Ruby Rose!    
Ruby’s expression turns to a mixture of shock and joy at the words, as Yang runs over to her, hugging and lifting her up, “I’m so proud of you baby sister!” Blake smiles while clapping for Ruby, Weiss conversely stares at Ruby, shocked, and somewhat dismayed. Among the cheering Ozpin observed all of his students, musing to himself, “Things seem to be shaping up to be an...interesting year.”    
  
Elsewhere in the city, Roman Torchwick stood hunched over a map of Vale. Marking potential places to rob and avoid. He gets a call on his scroll. “Hello, you’ve reached the office of Torchwick Inc. how can I help you?... Okay I get it, lovely.” The conversation ends, and he slams his fist down before marking on a path leading south of Vale with steps along the way, and several converging on Beacon. Standing up straight, he takes out a cigar and lights it, as a masked man with a white hood pushes a cart up to him. Roman takes out a collection of Lien cards as payment, which he places on the table. “Open it.”   
The man takes the money, and opens the case, revealing several tiers of dust crystals, varying in color. Roman picks up a blue gem, and examines it closer. “We’re gonna need more men for this…”   
  
  
  
  


It’s peaceful and serene in the bedroom dorm of Team RWBY. The curtains are drawn with little light coming through. Completely quiet as Weiss opens her eyes slowly, she gets up to stretch and yawn. Finally getting out of bed to begin getting dressed, as Ruby dressed completely in her uniform, interrupts the scene, blaring a whistle right beside Weiss, causing her to fall back into bed with a pained, shocked expression from the sudden and shrill noise.   
Ruby exclaims proudly, “Good morning Team RWBY!”   
Weiss, still on her bed holding one of her ears, “What is wrong with you?!” Ruby continued, “Now that you're awake Weiss, we can officially begin our first order of business!” Weiss stands up, patting her nightgown down to smooth it out, “Excuse me?” She looks over to Blake and Yang’s side of the room, as the two girls, also already fully dressed in their uniforms, are standing next to each other, Blake observing while Yang was digging through several boxes that Weiss was sure weren’t there the night before. Yang pulls out several rolled up posters, “We still have to decorate!”   
“What?”   
Blake continues, now helping Yang pull things out, “We still have to unpack completely.” The side of one of the box bursts, spilling out all its contents on the floor. Blake looks at all the items strewn about, embarrassed, “Aaaand clean…”    
Weiss stands, her face still blase. Before being sent to her bed by another blow of the whistle from Ruby. “Alright! Weiss, Blake, Yang, and their fearless leader Ruby have begun their first mission here at Beacon!” She raises her fist into the air, shouting, “Bonzai!”   
Yang more enthusiastically joins in, as Blake follows a bit more restrained, “Bonzai!”    
Weiss lays on the bed, “I despise you all…”   
The girls begin setting up their belongings on their respective sides of the room. Yang hung up her posters and set up a small station in the corner of equipment to maintain her clothes and gear, as well as her various brushes and hair products. Blake carefully placed her large collection of books on the shelf located at the center of the room under the window, occasionally finding some of her more private collection and hiding them. Ruby in a summarily chaotic fashion, haphazardly set up her belongings, her weapon maintenance on her desk, as well as some of her grimm figures on top of the bookshelf, with her own comics placed on the shelf. Weiss spent 20 minutes setting up all of her paintings, taking into account that they were all perfectly level, she went over to her desk to set it up, before pausing looking above it to see a mirror. Frowning at her reflection she took it down, and placed it above Ruby’s desk instead.    
After it was done, the girls looked around admiring, most of their handiwork and decorating. The one issue being all of their beds were pushed side by side to the center of the room. Weiss is the first to address it, “Well this isn’t going to work for a moment.” Blake agreed, ”It is a bit cramped.” Yang attempting a solution, “Maybe we have to ditch some of our stuff…” The girls ponder for a moment before Ruby shouts out a suggestion, “Or we could ditch the normal beds… and combine them into bunk beds!” Weiss gives a cold stare to Ruby, “That sounds incredibly dangerous, especially to do it ourselves.” Yang ecstatic as ever, “But, it also sounds super-awesome!” Blake leans in to talk directly to Weiss, “It does also seem efficient.”    
She sighs before relenting, insisting she help so it goes correctly. Yang and Blake stacked their beds on top of each other, using books as platforms on top of the bed’s posts, to hold Yang’s up above Blake’s bed. Weiss and Ruby’s took significantly longer, with Weiss insisting on a pulley system holding Ruby’s bed up with rope, hanging precariously above Weiss’ bed which was on the ground where it had originally been, next to her luggage and art. Ruby added a canopy to her top bunk made of spare sheets.    
They all take a moment to relax, satisfied with their work, as Ruby pulls out a binder with their class schedules in it. “Alright! Time for the second order of business! … Classes…” She pulls out a pencil to mark where she is for herself, “Now, we have several classes together today. At 9 we’ve got to be-” Weiss cuts her off.   
“What? Did you say 9 o’clock?”   
“Uuum. Yes?”   
“It’s 8:55, you dunce!” Weiss bursts out of the room and down the hall, with her bag flailing behind her. The rest of team RWBY runs after her with panicked expressions.   
  
The girls sat in the front row of their first class, combat and grimm studies. The walls are covered with illustrations and photographs of different types of Grimm, and weapon schematics. At the front of the class stands a portly man, with thick eyebrows, parted gray hair, and a fine waxed mustache. He wore a crimson button up uniform that felt antiquated amongst the variety of students in the class.   
“Monsters! Deeeemons… Prowlers of the night and dark places of the world! Yes, the creatures of Grimm have a great many names, but I merely refer to them as  **prey** ! Ha-ha!” He pauses for a laugh, but no one does.    
“Uhhhh… And you shall too, upon your graduation from this prestigious academy! But as I was saying: Vale, along with the other three kingdoms, are safe havens in an otherwise treacherous world! Our planet is absolutely teeming with creatures that would desire nothing more than to tear you limb from limb. As well as any other human unfortunate enough to come across them. Which is where we all come in. Huntsmen! Huntresses! Individuals sworn to protect those who cannot protect themselves! From what you may ask? Why, the very world bent on their destruction!”   
The girls all watch with varying levels of enthusiasm; Blake and Yang are sat up, paying attention, Weiss is taking notes while listening, and Ruby is currently taking a nap, with one arm supporting her head. Before she wakes up with a start, to go back to listening in a drowsy state.   
“That is the goal you all are training to achieve! But first: A story. A tale of a young,  _ handsome man _ ...Me! When I was a boy…”   
Weiss looks back over to Ruby who is clearly just doodling on her paper. Weiss zones back into Port’s story, “...Despite smelling of cabbages, my grandfather was a wise man. ‘Peter’, he told me…” Ruby pokes Weiss, attempting to get her and the rest of her team’s attention, as she reveals what her attention has been focused on. A stick figure of Professor Port, drawn as a ball with legs, and the words “Blah blah blah blah blah” written all around him. Blake and Yang give a chuckle before returning to listening, but Weiss’ face remains ice cold staring at Ruby.    
“Ah-hem!” Port stares directly at the girls, waiting until he has everyone’s attention once more. “In the end, I bested the Beowolf with my sheer tenacity, returning to my village with the beast in a cage, and my head held high, celebrated as a hero!” He takes a bow to no applause.    
“The moral of the story? A true Huntsman must be honorable!”   
Weiss goes back to observing Ruby, becoming more frustrated with her as she is looking off into space with a silly expression.   
“A true Huntsman must be dependable!”   
Ruby folds her arms to go back to sleep   
“A true Huntsman must be strategic, well-educated, and wise!”   
Weiss continues to fume staring at her team’s leader asleep for the second time in the first class of the year.   
“Who among you believes themselves to be an embodiment of these traits?”   
Weiss angrily raises her hand, “I do, sir!” Port exclaims, “Ah good! A volunteer! Ms. Schnee, if you’d please come down to the front of the class! Step forward and face your opponent!” He gestures to a covered container, that he removes the cloth top off to reveal a grimm, reminiscent of a wild hog, snarling and ramming itself against its container.   
Port continues, “Ms. Schnee, please get your weapon ready.” Then to the class, “ **This** is a Boarbatusk! It superficially looks similar to a wild pig, and has a temperament to match it I might add. Though I will admit, they don’t taste quite as good! Ha-Ha!” Again he pauses for a laugh, but none arrives.    
Weiss readies her weapon after loading the revolver chambers with dust cartridges. “Professor Port, I’m ready.” Her teammates cheer her on from their seats, Yang pumping her fists, “Go Weiss go!” Blake waving a small flag she made of paper with “RWBY” written on it, “Fight well Weiss!” And Ruby chiming in, “Yeah, represent Team RWBY!”    
Weiss snaps back, “Ruby! I am  _ trying _ to focus!” Ruby shrinks back into her seat sheepishly, “Oh, um...sorry…”   
Port readies his axe blunderbuss, aiming at the lock on the cage to the Boarbatusk, “Let the match begin!” He swings his axe into the lock, shattering it, and allowing the cage’s door to fall to the ground. Wasting no time, the Boar grimm charges at Weiss, who rolls to the side evading its initial assault, and readying herself for the next move. The grimm stops a distance away from her, seeming to study what she might do next.    
Port, now leaning against the cage, “Ho! Good to see you were expecting that, let’s hope you can keep up the pace!” Ruby cheers from the side, “Hang in there, Weiss! You got this!”   
Weiss raises her rapier, and producing a white glyph at her feet, charges towards the beast at a breakneck speed, ready to stick it straight into the beast’s skull. In an instant, the Boarbatusk read the attack, shifting its head to catch Weiss’ sword in its tusks, flinging her to the side.    
“Bold new approach. I like it!” Ruby continues cheering, “Beat him up Weiss!” Weiss glares at her for a second before running at the Boarbatusk, grabbing her weapon as it violently shakes its head, hurling Weiss and her weapon in opposite directions, Port comments from the side, “Oh-ho! Now what will you do without your weapon?”   
From the floor, Weiss looks up in time to see the beast charging her again, she rolls out of the way just in time, and rushes to her sword, sliding as she grasps it back in her hand. Ruby continued to yell out, “Weiss! Go for its belly! There’s no armor underneath-”   
Weiss turns to Ruby with eyes that could melt ice, “Stop telling me what to do!” Ruby again shrinks back, hurt at Weiss’ rebuttal. She looks back to the grimm, the Boarbatusk readying itself to charge, as Weiss raises her sword once more.    
The beast charges at her with a blinding speed as Weiss channels a blue and white glyph to stop the Boartusk, and hurl into the air, she then produces the same at her feet to fling herself towards the grimm, driving her sword through the underbelly of the creature as the black blood like substance spurts out over her and the ground. They both come to the ground as the fluid and the beast’s corpse begin to dissipate. Weiss leans over for a second catching her breath as Port congratulates her. “Bravo! Bra-vo! Truly, you are indeed a Huntress-in-the making!”, She stands up straight as he continues, “I’m afraid that’s all we have time for today. Be sure to cover the assigned readings, and...Be vigilant! Class dismissed.” 

Weiss grabs her things and leaves the classroom ahead of her teammates as they look to each other with concern.    
Ruby runs after her to catch up, “Weiss!” She aggressively turns to face Ruby, “What?”   
“What’s wrong? Why are you being-?”   
“What’s wrong? You’re supposed to be a leader! But even at just the beginning of the year, you’ve done nothing but goof off and be a nuisance!”   
Ruby scoffs, “What did I do?”   
“That’s just it! - you’ve done nothing to earn your position! You routinely acted like a child in the forest, and have only continued to do so!”   
“Weiss, where is this coming from? Didn’t you say we’d do this together? I thought you believed in us acting as a team?”   
“Not a team led by  _ you _ .  _ I’ve _ studied and trained. And quite frankly,  _ I _ deserve better.” She continues to walk away from Ruby as she muttered just loud enough for her to hear, “Ozpin made a mistake.”    
Ruby’s arms fall to her side as she looks to the ground dejected. From behind her she hears a voice, “Hmm...Now that didn’t seem to go very well.” Ozpin stands behind her, as he comes around to her side to see if she’s alright.   
Ruby continues looking down, beginning to cry, “Is she right? Did you make a mistake?”   
Ozpin laughs slightly, “Well that remains to be seen.”    
“What do you mean?”    
“I mean, it’s merely the beginning of the first day. Ruby… I’ve made more mistakes than any man, woman, and child on this planet. But at this moment, I wouldn’t consider your appointment as a leader to be one of them.” He leans down to be able to meet Ruby’s eyes, “Do you?”   
Ruby wipes away her tears, and stands up straight to return the gesture, and he continued, “Being a team leader isn’t merely a title you carry into battle, it’s a badge you wear at all times. If you aren’t always performing at your absolute best, then what reason do others have to offer you theirs and follow you?” She ponders the information as Ozpin begins walking away, “You’ve been burdened with a daunting responsibility, Ruby. I advise you take some time to consider how you will uphold it.” Ruby considered the information, before continuing to her next class with a new look of determination on her.    
  
The rest of the school day passed without resolution. Weiss intentionally sitting away from Ruby, sometimes even her whole team, with each and every one of the day's classes. After the final class, once again Weiss sped out ahead of her teammates.    
Weiss walked through the halls for several minutes until she saw Professor Port on a balcony, watching the sunset over Beacon’s rooftops and Vale. Weiss approaches him, “Professor Port!” He turns to face her, “Ah, Miss Schnee! And to what do I owe this fine pleasure?” Weiss attempts to swerve around what she actually wants to discuss, “I… I enjoyed your lecture!”   
“Of course you did child; you have the blood of a true Huntress in you!” She smiles, “You really think so?”   
“Most surely!” Weiss avoids eye contact with Port, looking down. Noticing this he asks her, “Hmm...Something’s troubling you.”   
“Yes, sir…”   
“Dear girl, confess to me your strife! Though I’ll admit I am not quite as academically minded to suit you as Barty would be.”   
“Well...I-I think I should have been the leader of Team RWBY!” A moment of silence passes between the two before Port responds, “That’s preposterous!”   
Weiss, taking offense to the statement, “Excuse me?!”   
“I’ve believed in Ozpin for many years, and the man’s never once led me astray. I don’t believe his decision was a mistake.”   
“So you would just  _ blindly _ accept his decision even after seeing my exceptional combat prowess?”   
“With all due respect, your exceptional skill in combat, is matched equally by your poor attitude.”   
Weiss erupts at the statement, “How _ dare  _ you!”    
Port leans back with his hands to his waist, “My point exactly. I see a girl before me who never had to struggle to live, getting entirely what she wanted.” At that she folds her arms, putting on a defiant attitude. “That’s not even remotely true!” Port raises an eyebrow, sternly watching her. Reluctantly she relents, “Well...not entirely true.”   
Port puts his teacher attitude back on to lecture her, “So the outcome did not fall in your favor. Did you really believe acting in this manner would cause those in power to reconsider their decision?” Weiss calms down, and looks to him embarrassed. “So instead of fretting about what you don’t have, savor that which you do. Hone your skills, perfect every aspect of yourself you can, and be not the best  _ leader _ , but the best _ person _ you can be.” Weiss smiles. “Thank you professor.” He smiles back at her, as she turns to walk to her dorm.

  
Weiss walked back in the decreasing light, thinking deeper on Port’s words. It felt somehow freeing to be told to be her best self. To be herself. She wondered how she would improve upon that and her interactions as she entered her dorm room, seeing Blake sleeping soundly under her covers, Yang splayed out on her bed above the covers snoring. Ruby was behind her canopy with a lamp on underneath it. Weiss lifted the canopy to see her asleep on top of notes, a pencil still in her hand and open books surrounding her. She smiles, observing the work Ruby seems to be putting in, and clears her throat, before gently shaking Ruby awake, who begins flailing in surprise, stopping as she notices Weiss. “Weiss! I-I was studying, and then fell asleep! I’m sorry-”   
Weiss puts a hand over Ruby’s mouth, holding a single finger above her lips, and pointing to the other two girls sleeping. Ruby nods her head as Weiss removes her hand, and notices an empty mug by her. “How do you take your coffee?”   
“I uh. Um.”   
“Answer the question!”   
Uhh, cream and five sugars!”    
Weiss sighs at the answer, “Don’t move.” She lowers herself from Ruby’s bed along with her mug, and heads out of the room down the hall to the floor’s communal kitchen. And starting a fresh pot of coffee. Weiss smiled thinking to herself. She was a part of a team now with 3 other girls. She wouldn’t be alone for years of learning. She prepared the hot coffee for herself, and Ruby’s incredibly sweet approximation of a coffee drink, and returned to the room to a confused Ruby.    
“Here.” She hands Ruby’s mug to her.   
“Um… Thanks, Weiss.” She smiles but still as a look of confusion on her face after the events of the day. Weiss returns the smile, and with a remorseful expression, “Ruby, I think you have what it takes to be a good leader.” Ruby’s face turns appreciative, smiling wider as Weiss continues, “But just know. I am going to be the best teammate you’ll  _ ever _ have! Good luck studying.” She begins to lower the canopy, stopping for a few seconds before turning back, “Hey Ruby? I always wanted bunk beds when I was a kid.” Weiss gets down, grabbing her notes and supplies to study in the common area, closing the door gently behind her. Ruby grins wide, ecstatic with the progression of their relationship, and goes back to studying.   
  
The rest of the week passes much smoother than the first day. Each day bringing new academic challenges. As well as tests of endurance with the sheer longevity of the first week. Cycling through each subject every day, combat and grimm study, history, weapon maintenance, botany, and budgeting/economics. Mostly introductions, beginning of the semester set up, as well as assignment of the first week’s homework and semester long projects. The week’s last class ended with the eccentric Professor Oobleck’s incredibly quick closing remarks, “A reminder class before you all go about gallivanting on your weekends! We will be requiring everyone to join an extracurricular club by the end of the next week! While you must learn to hone your skills as Hunters and Huntresses, you must also round out who you are as a person in the world. Class dismissed.”   
The girls went back to their dorm, Ruby and Yang both groaning for different reasons. Ruby began first, “Ughhh. I don’t want to join a club. Don’t we have enough to do?” Yang interjected, “Oh that’s what you were complaining about? I thought we were both just hungry and worn-out after this week.” Blake patted Yang on the back, “They do say the first 2 weeks of a new position are the longest, it’ll start going by fast soon.”    
Weiss, pointed as ever, “You two have so little drive. The school is to make us better hunters, and the extracurricular activities help us develop as people to be in the real world.”   
Ruby looks up to her, “Weiss, have you thought of what club you want to join?”    
She scoffs, “Of course I have! I’m going to join the art club run by Professor Aegis. I'm already gifted musically, and would like to work on my painting skills further.” Blake adds in, “I’ve already decided on joining the reading/writing club run by her as well. What about you Yang?”   
“I’m not sure, I had it narrowed to three, though if I think I have the time, I might join more than just the one. What about you, baby sis?” Ruby nervously looks to the other three realizing she’s the only one who hadn’t put any thought into it, “I uhm. Thought I’d just see what would happen?”   
Yang stands up looking at her, “Ruby, you can’t just avoid it. They’re required. Besides, it's fun! And a great chance to meet and get to know other people.”   
“Ugh again with this! I thought I’d be done when I got my teammates.”   
They enter their dorm and begin changing into their casual clothes, the comfortable afternoon sun leaking through the drawn crimson curtains, blanketing their room in a soft red glow as Blake talks to Ruby, “It’s good to have a friend group that’s more than just those in your immediate vicinity. The clubs also help you with finding or developing an interest you might have found or not.” Yang calls over to Ruby, “What about that Jaune guy?” Weiss rolls her eyes at the mention of his name as Yang continues, “Isn’t he nice? Why not see what club he’s planning on joining?”   
“That’s not a bad idea, they are our neighbors across the hall after all.”    
Weiss was the first to get dressed and began heading out of the room, with Yang calling after her, “Oh Weiss! Before you go, let’s all do something this weekend! We can go into Vale and hang out with each other. Call it a team building exercise!” Weiss stares back at her silently for a few seconds before responding half sarcastically, “Sure, sounds grand.” She begins to leave again, only to be interrupted, this time by Ruby, “Wait Weiss! Where are you headed?”   
She sighs, “I’m going to speak with Professor Aegis to inform her I'm joining the art club and also get a chance to meet her. Why?”   
“Well, since it was Friday, I was just hoping we could do something.”   
“Next time Ruby, why don’t you try meeting the neighbors or something.” She leaves, closing the door quickly before she can be stopped again. Ruby looks to Yang and Blake, “What about you guys? Wanna hang out and do something?”   
They look at each other for a second, then Yang with a look of guilt, “We uh. Actually we were going to go sign up for our clubs as well, then head into Vale to look around the place. But Weiss was right, why don’t you see Jaune and his team to ask what they plan to do?”    
Yang and Blake leave the room together as a dejected Ruby looks to the closing door, “Yeah...I uh. Guess I can do that.” She finishes changing, putting her red cloak back on, and exits her room, locking it behind her, and moves to the door of team JNPR. She stands frozen for a moment before finally knocking on the door. A few second pass until Lie Ren opens the door, he looks down in surprise at Ruby for a second before smiling, “Hello Ruby, did you need something?”   
“I uhm. Wanted to just check in on you guys, and say hello! With us being-uh neighbors and all-” A crash sounds behind Ren as he looks back panicked, Nora is seen running to another side of the room as Pyrrha calls out, “I’m sorry!”   
“Uh, what’s happening there?”    
“We’re still setting up our room now that the week is over and we have a free moment.” Nora rushes over to the door, “Oh my gosh! Ruby! You should have told us you were visiting, I would have gotten some tea ready! Come in come in!” Nora gently pushes Ren out the way, shepherding Ruby into their room, “Uh- no really I shouldn’t intrude!”   
“It’s fine! We weren’t doing anything important!”   
Ruby enters the room, seeing it looked very similar to how their room began, mostly blank with boxes and luggage beside beds. However some of the boxes appeared to be burying Jaune with Pyrrha attempting to dig him out. Pyrrha looks over to Ruby as she sits on one of the beds, “Hello! How has Team RWBY’s first week been?”    
“It’s-uhm. A lot happened, I got into a fight with Weiss on the first day- but it turned out okay!”   
Nora chimes in, listening intently, “Well the fight part with her doesn’t surprise me. She seemed pretty miffed that first day, I’m honestly surprised you can work with her.”   
“She’s more than just a hothead. I’m certain there’s a lot to her, I just have to get her to talk about it with her best friend.”   
Nora looks to her in confusion, “Who’s her best friend?”   
“Me of course!”   
Pyrrha manages to dig Jaune out who gasps for air coming up from the boxes. Nora, calm as ever, “Hey Jaune, glad you’re back. You have fun?”   
“Not really…” Pyrrha helps him up off the floor, “Oh, hey Ruby. What’s up?”   
“I was actually here to see you all, and ask if you had an idea of what club you wanted to join?”   
Nora immediately stands up excited, “Pyrrha and I are going to join the fitness club! You should totally join too! By the looks of you, you could use a bit more muscle.” Ruby crosses her arms, blushing. Ren from his bed speaks up, “I was going to join the art club. I’ve always had an affinity for visual mediums.”    
Ruby looks a little disappointed seeing how prepared they were, “What about you Jaune?”   
“Oh! Uh. I uh, haven’t quite decided on the club. I’m not really good at anything, so I’m unsure what I would uh, pursue.” Ruby looks sympathetically to him, “Well uh. Why not check all of them out then? I don’t know what I’m going to join either, and we have this next week to decide. We could see which one suits us best.”    
Jaune perks up at the invitation, “Ya! That’s not a bad idea, getting a taste of all of them sounds great.”   
Ruby and JNPR talked about their respective weeks as Ruby helped them set up their room. She found talking to be easier as they were working on something, and her anxieties eased with every step of her conversations. Learning more about each of her neighbors by both how they talked about each other, what they enjoyed, and what they decorated their parts and desks with. She was happy she had come over to talk with them, yet still a little bitter that Yang was correct about making friends.    
  
Weiss stood in front of the office door of Professor Aegis. Looking at the office hours and her name printed on the door. It was quiet in the teacher office building, with the occasional staff or student walking by, and the slight humming of the bright hall lights. She wanted to make a better impression than her conversation with Professor Port. Forming connections with people in an industry you intend to enter was one thing she reluctantly agreed with her father on. She takes a deep breath, and knocks on the door.    
“Come in.”   
She enters the modest office to see the professor working on her scroll, marking papers as she goes. The professor looked rather young compared to some of the other teachers, and was a ram faunus, based on her horns and fluff around her neck. As she continued without addressing Weiss, the girl began observing the rest of her office. A small metal engraved name tag on her desk that read, “Far Aegis.” Not many decorations or personalizations, aside from perhaps the white and silver color scheme she had on her chair and bookshelf. She set her scroll down, “Apologies for that, beginning of the year work and such. Please take a seat.”    
Weiss accepts the offer, “It’s alright, I understand completely. I’m Weiss Schnee, I intend to join your art club, and wanted to meet you directly before.”   
“Oh yes! I had heard we’d have a member of the Schnee Family attending Beacon this year. It’s a pleasure to meet you, I’m quite familiar with your family, as I graduated from Atlas myself. I’m aware you’re quite gifted musically, especially with your voice. Did you have a visual medium you were interested in specifically?”   
“Yes, I actually also have experience painting and would like to pursue that.”   
“Oh! Wonderful, I love paintings.” Far pulls out a pamphlet for the art club. “This sheet has all the information about the club, as well as what days and times we meet each week, in case you didn’t have one already.” Weiss thanks her and begins to leave, pausing as she’s half way through the door. “Professor Aegis?”    
She looks up from her papers, “Yes Ms. Schnee?”   
Weiss pauses, with a hesitant voice, “Why did you leave Atlas? If you don’t mind me asking. Since you graduated from there, surely you could have had a more lucrative position than working for Beacon?”

Far smiles and leans into her chair, “Didn’t you leave Atlas also? I’m sure you have your reasons just as I do. But the easiest answer I can give is separation. Atlas has a lot of problems with how it views not only the other kingdoms, but the people in its own border as well. I couldn’t exactly relate to the people up in Atlas due to my upbringing.” Weiss wondered about this, but decided to just ask, “Weren’t you born in Atlas?” The professor chuckles before answering,    
“No, I was born in Mantle, brought up to the shiny city at the behest of recruiting scouts belonging to Ironwood. You could say I came to Beacon because I relate to the more casual man.” Far smiled at her, “ Although, I do look forward to getting to know you more as well Ms. Schnee”   
Weiss, returning, “I look forward to it also. Thank you for answering my question.” She stepped out of the office and walked back down the hall. More thoughts swirling through her head than when she entered.   
  
Blake and Yang signed up for the clubs they were interested in, and then caught a shuttle going into Vale. It was mostly quiet with Blake seeming nervous going into town. Yang leaned over to ask her, “You been to Vale much?”   
“Um. Not really. I came here shortly before the orientation day at Beacon, so I don’t know the kingdom too well.” Yang smiles, “Well lucky for  _ you _ Miss Belladonna, I happen to be from around here! So I can be your personal guide through Vale. You won’t have to go around alone here.” Blake’s eyes widened, surprised at Yang’s words and expression. She was so direct and bright. Her smile seemed so warm and comforting, like an afternoon sun in the middle of summer. Returning the smile, “Yeah, that sounds great. I’d certainly be more comfortable exploring with someone I know than alone.” Yang leaned back in her seat of the shuttle, “So if you came here recently, where are you from?” Blake looked uncomfortable at the question, “Uhm. That’s a question that needs a bit of a structured answer. My family lives on an island, but I haven’t been there for some time. Kind of being from all over as I kept moving.”    
Yang began beaming again, “No way! Me and Ruby are from an island too! That’s where our dad still lives. So if your family is back on that island who were you living with as you moved from place to place?” Blake avoids the question, “You said just your dad lives on the island still. What about you and Ruby’s mom?” Yang’s smile fades. “Ruby and I actually had different moms. Hers is gone, and mine uh, Left.” She looks out the window thoughtfully, “I’ve been looking for her for a while. Though as of my last lead, I’m a little stuck.”    
Blake, looking quizzically to her, “You sound like a detective, what was your last bit of info?”   
The question brung a smile to Yang’s face, recounting the memory, “I was told to ask some guy who ran a shady club in town, his name is ‘Jr.’ He seems to be the type that knows anyone coming in and out of the kingdom that doesn’t want to be noticed. I uh, calmly walked in, and politely asked him.”   
Blake looks deep into her distrustfully, “That doesn’t seem like your approach.” Yang chuckles seeming to enjoy being asked, “Okay, you caught me! I asked politely, he wouldn’t budge, so I tried ‘persuading’ him. Giving him a good grip down below, and demand he call me ‘sir’ or he’d lose what little made him a man.” Blake’s surprised expression came back, this time blushing and not sure what to do with the information she was just given as Yang continued. “Turns out he didn’t know anything, but didn’t care for my way of trying to make up.”    
“What did you do?”   
“I decked him in the face. Then his goons all started trying to attack me. Obviously I trounced all of them, even his ballerina bouncers.”    
“Ballerina bouncers?”   
“I don’t actually know if that’s what they were, but it's what they looked like. Finally he came out to fight me himself, and I was taking everything he could dish out. But then…” She clenches her fist from the memory, “He managed to damage my hair...Something I can never forgive… So I sent him flying out of his own club, as I blasted my way out.”   
“Are you? Making these things up?”   
Yang laughs, before giving another wide, happy grin, “Nope!”   
  
Their shuttle arrived in the Commercial District of Vale. As soon as they got off Yang began impersonating a tour guide, “We’ll be beginning our tour of the Vale Commercial district now, with our destination being ‘Paradise Isle’, a cafe loved by Beacon’s own star, Yang Xiao Long!” Blake laughed softly, “Seeing yourself as a celebrity already?”   
“Well I’m gonna be by the time I’m done here. I mean, look at me?”   
“Believe me, I am.” There’s a brief pause of silence before they look away from each other while walking, Blake blushing, and Yang grinning. They walk awhile in the cooler afternoon air, the sun approaching the roofs of Vale. Yang points to various buildings in the commercial district, addressing and explaining them. The girls arrive at Paradise Isle, and walk inside. The cafe has a chic art deco style, feeling more appropriate for a nightclub than a cafe. Observing the decor, Blake asks, “This is a cafe? It seems a bit uh, much.”    
“That’s why I like it! Real swanky kinda joint don’t ya think?”   
They go up to the counter to take their order, Yang taking the lead, “I’d like an affogato please. And also I’m paying for her drink.” She points to Blake, who was about to protest before Yang winked at her, and she relented. Blake looked up at the menu, a little disappointed at the tea selection, and going with a simple Earl Grey pot. They take their seats by a window with a view of the street. Lots of people going in either direction, walking and driving to get home as the sunlight began to crest over the buildings. “You didn’t have to get my drink you know?”   
“I know, I wanted to. A welcome to Vale, and a welcome as my partner”   
Their drinks arrive, and Blake pours her cup of tea as Yang begins spooning the ice cream into her mouth. As She takes a sip of her tea, she watches Yang grinning and seeming quite happy, she smiles to herself thinking about Yang’s words and their afternoon together. Unaware of her own grin, she’s surprised when Yang comments on it, “You really like tea don’t you?” Blake slips another gentle laugh and looks to her, “Yeah, something like that.” 

Saturday passes without incident, Weiss studies and continues her homework, Blake reads most of the day, and Yang forced Ruby to explore Beacon’s campus with her. Saturday’s were meant to be capstones to the week according to the message sent out that morning by Glynda. From next week on the only class each Saturday would be sparring, and end of week meetups for clubs. Team JNPR continued settling into their room, and many students took to exploring or spending time at the campus’ pool, seeing as they had no class that day. The teachers all prepared for the coming week’s agendas or were still getting caught up to the beginning of their year.    
  
Sunday morning all the girls but Yang slept in a bit. She quietly got up, went off to shower and wash and dry her hair, then came back and began her daily routine. First was getting dressed in her casual clothing, an orange tank top and some cargo shorts. Then she started her makeup, she enjoyed wearing a light amount of makeup, enough to notice the difference, but not so much it took out too much of her day, she was plenty confident in her base look. Yang carefully and quietly took out all her various hair care products, and one by one applied them to her long, golden, curly locks. Satisfied with her efforts, she smiled into the mirror, and began to work on some of her class work while waiting for the other girls to wake up.    
Blake was the next to get up. Grabbing a clean set of clothes and heading off to the restroom. While she was gone Weiss woke up, and also began to get ready. Seeing everyone but her little sister had woken up, Yang turned on the radio she kept on her desk, it was mid broadcast with the host, Gideon Howler going over his own reports and opinions before music, as per his usual shtick, “-nd how about that? In the midst of this so called ‘peace’ we still have Roman Torchwick running around, robbing dust shops and storages all over Vale! And the cops  _ still _ can’t find him? Where are they looking? The sky?” At the mention of Torchwick, Ruby jolts awake, sitting up gasping, Yang whips around in her seat, “Ruby! You okay?” Ruby took a few seconds before seeing Yang and calming down, “I’m fine. I’m fine. It’s just, he’s still out there you know? I fought him and took down his goons, even stopped them from making off with all that store’s dust. But they could go back at any time without me there… I couldn’t touch him…”    
Yang gets up out of her desk, walking over to Ruby’s bunk and clambering up to sit next to her, and put an arm around her shoulder, “But it won’t go that way next time. That’s why you’re here, to get better. And now you’ll have teammates by your side, with big sis backing you up too.” The radio host switches to music, playing a popular road artist, “Sturge Singer”. Yang jumps down from Ruby’s bed, rocking it as she does, then looking up at her, “For now focus on school and being our team’s, ‘fearless leader’. I have something fun planned for today.” Ruby obliges, giving her sister a big hug before running off to get ready for the day.    
Once the girls were all dressed for the day, they went about leisuring. Weiss taking an exceptionally long time to brush her long side ponytail, Blake working on her own school work, and Ruby polishing Crescent Rose, despite the fact she hasn’t used her weapon yet since getting to the school.    
Yang lowered the volume to the radio before announcing, “Alright girls! We’re going on a team-building exercise today!” They all look to her, Weiss commening, “Oh god, I thought you were being sarcastic about that Friday.”   
Blake leaned out from her bed, “What did you have in mind?” While Ruby simply groaned, “Ugh, but it's hot todaaayyyy…” Yang gives Ruby a stare before continuing, “It’s a great summer day! And we’re not super busy for now. So I decided, on Ruby’s part, that we’d all go into Vale and have a good time somewhere.” Weiss sighs, “Well I was hoping to work on our first project from Grimm Studies, but you aren’t going to give up until you get what you want, will you?” Yang shakes her head smiling, then walks over to a pouting Ruby physically picking her up to carry her out of the room as she desperately attempts to free herself from her sister’s grasp. Blake gets up heading for the door, noticing Weiss hasn’t moved, and holds her hand, guiding her out, as Weiss looks away to not reveal her smile,and locks the door behind them.   
It wasn’t an insignificant trip into Vale, waiting a while for the next shuttle in the hot midday sun, as Ruby continued to complain about just the heat, holding her cloak above herself like an umbrella. The sun didn’t bother Weiss or Yang who sat at the station bench, Weiss leaning over holding her chin in her hands bored, and Yang sitting back with her arms and legs crossed. Blake merely had her eyes closed the whole time. Once they got onto the air conditioned shuttle, Ruby immediately perked back up, leaning over the back of her seat to talk to Weiss behind her. “Weiss! So what’s Atlas like? Is it cold all the time? Or just some of the time? What kinda food do they have there? OH! Also wha-” She’s cut off by Weiss holding a finger up to Ruby’s lips. “One question at a time. Atlas is a marvel, both socially and technologically. If you’re from Atlas, odds are you have influence somewhere. It’s cold most of the time, especially because of Atlas’ altitude, but very nice in the spring and summer. And the food I can only comment on our own household’s dinners, which were quite lovely. The food at least. Are you happy?” Ruby immediately opened her mouth for more questions before Weiss repeated her previous gesture, “Why don’t you talk about your home for a bit, or maybe  _ Yang _ could explain where we’re actually headed?”   
Ruby bounces at the question, “Oh we’re from an island off the coast of Vale called Patch! Our dad still lives there and teaches at Signal! We have a little dog, and our dad tends to this large garden around the house. Patch is great! It's so temperate most of the year, and our neighbors are nice, there’s this old lady who runs a farm by us, and a few others on the other parts of the island!”    
“Hmm. He runs a garden, sounds like a calm gentle person. So what happened to you two?”   
Yang laughs at the comment, “He’s actually the one who taught me to fight! He was always protective of us, so maybe we just got a little confident to spite him.” Ruby shrunk a bit, “Well, he taught you to fight since you like punching things, he couldn’t do much with me so Qrow had to teach me to use a scythe.” Yang putting on her best big sister voice, “Ruby, you can’t just have one way to fight, you really should learn to punch.”    
Ruby turns to her sister with a pouting face, “Oh but it’s fine for  _ you _ to have one fighting style where you punch things.”   
“Of course! I’m the big sis, so I know what’s best. Plus I haven’t lost with my way yet, why change.”

Both Blake and Weiss laugh at this. The rest of the trip is occupied by small talk about each of their homes. Though the girls noticed Blake was a little vague on details and location. They got to Vale and the girls all started following Yang, still being coy about their destination. The sun was warm, and the streets were busy with people walking to and fro; shopping, eating at restaurants and cafes, and working. After 30 minutes of walking, Yang finally stops at their destination, a large green park with a small playground in the center of it. Weiss, unimpressed, “A park? You dragged us into town to go to a park?” Yang, losing no confidence, “What better way to bond than by just playing around? Besides Weiss, it might help you  _ chill _ out a bit.”   
Ruby bursts out laughing, “Ha ha! It’s cause she’s an ice queen!” Blake chuckles while Weiss stands with her face still mute. She begins to turn around and walk back until Yang grabs her hand and pulls her towards the park. “Come on Weiss, haven’t you ever played at a park before?”   
“No.”   
“Even more reason to do so now! Come on I’ll push you on the swing!”

Weiss carefully sits on the swing nervous with Yang standing behind her, “So uhm. I just. Sit here?”   
“Yup! Oh, and hold onto the chains on the side.”   
“Okay, but why do I ne-!” She’s cut off by Yang gripping the chains, pulling Weiss back, and then flinging the swing ahead, as Weiss yells in fear at the sudden movement. “What are you doing?! Stop me right now!” Yang continues pushing her hard, until Ruby runs up to move her and slow Weiss down, “Sorry, Weiss! Not everyone is built for Yang speed!, I’ll push you softer if you uhm. Weiss?” She had a vice grip on the chains, staring ahead. “Okay...Just. Never Yang speed. Never Yang speed again.” Ruby begins pushing Weiss on the swing more gently. Her grip loosens and she starts to relax. This was a new experience for her. It was...enjoyable. She liked Ruby gently pushing her and as she relaxed she began to think what to talk about. Finally deciding, “Ruby, you mentioned that someone named Qrow taught you to fight?”   
“Oh yeah! That’s my uncle Qrow! He teaches at Signal on occasion, and stays with us when he’s in town. He’s great! I mean, he smells like whiskey most of the time, but it adds to his charm. He’s been there for us a lot. Almost always when we needed him, but we don’t get to talk to him much cause he’s out on missions so much. He taught me everything I know about fighting with a scythe.”   
“He seems like he means a lot to you.”   
“Oh he does! Even though he has a lot of problems, I look up to him.”    
Yang smiles at her sister and Weiss talking. Then turns her attention to Blake, who was sitting off to the side reading a book she had brought. “Yo partner! Let’s do something!”   
“Um. Like what?”    
“Hmm. How about something that plays to your strengths?” Yang runs over to a shed with rent equipment and gets a ball, then runs back. “Let’s play kick ball!”   
“With just the two of us?”   
“Yeah! We kick the ball back and forth to each other, and if one of us hits the other with the ball, we get a point! I played this game with Ruby all the time when we were kids.”   
“That’s not kick ball, but we can.” They stand on opposing sides of the field. Yang kicks it first, not full force, but enough to get it to Blake easily. She didn't want to hurt her after all. In response Blake launched the ball up, then wound up ready to kick it, and as it reached her midsection, swung her leg around to launch it into Yang who just barely put up her hands to catch it. Her hands stung, but it wasn’t bad. Blake called over, “So is catching a point for you or me, we didn’t establish?”   
“We’ll say just no point.” Yang started getting excited seeing she didn’t have to hold back. Well, much anyways. Yang placed the ball on the ground, and getting a running start, sent it flying at Blake at a blinding speed, she in response uses her semblance to produce an afterimage to take the balls hit, and give her a chance to kick back. But Yang was ready this time, and returned the ball. Their exchanges lasted for only 20 seconds, but to the girls it felt so much longer. Ruby stopped pushing Weiss as they watched their teammates flinging the ball back and forth at a speed that they were certain would kill a normal person not expecting it.    
Finally Blake managed to break the momentum of the ball, causing it to go up into the air with her leg. A split second later she jumped up after the ball, Yang tried to watch her to anticipate the coming attack, but Blake’s image was washed out by the sun behind her, and Yang couldn’t see. Blake delivered an axe kick, mid-air to send the ball flying back towards the earth, colliding with an unprepared Yang as it did so. She was sent to the floor with the wind knocked out of her, as the ball bounced for a few seconds beside her. Seeing this after she landed, Blake immediately became concerned, running up to Yang, “Oh my god Yang! Are you okay? I didn’t mean to get you that hard! Please say something!” Yang slowly lifts her arm, grabbing the ball, and tossing it at Blake, as it harmlessly bounces off her. “There...Now we’re even...You’re pretty good.” She gets up with a wide grin, and a red spot on her forehead. Blake gives a sigh of relief, and begins realizing just how hot it was after all their movement.    
From over by the playground, Ruby calls over, “Yang! Spin me on the carousel!”    
“Oh heck yeah!” Yang immediately jumps up seeming fine and runs over to her sister, as Blake just looks bewildered at how quickly she’s up and running again.    
Noticing Weiss still on the swing, Ruby calls over, “Weiss! You wanna spin on the carousel with me?”   
“Oh no! I’m not falling for that again. Leaving Yang in charge of your speed is clearly hazardous to your health.” Ruby positions herself at the center of the carousel bracing, “Okay Yang let’s go!” Yang laughs, “You sure you’re ready for Yang speed baby sis? You didn’t fare well last time.”   
“I’m older and stronger now, just do it!”    
“Okay!” Yang grabs one of the bars to the carousel and winds up ready to get spinning. And with one strong push, sends off the initial spin. Adding to the spin over and over until she can’t stick her hand on the thing anymore. Ruby is just a red blur inside the spinning bars, managing to stay set in the center for 30 seconds before she is sent flying out of the bars, crashing into the rent shed, denting the storage doors, she gets up dizzy, and stumbling, with her aura clearly activated. Yang puts on her sunglasses and stands confidently, “Out with a Yang. He he.” No one else laughs, but it doesn’t bother her. Yang helped Ruby to a shady spot and they all got water and sat together in the shade talking for another 20 minutes before Ruby was ready to walk. And they all made their way back to the shuttle station, returning to Beacon to enjoy the rest of their Sunday afternoon.   



	4. Club Soda, Training Roulette

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Club activities, and then the Jaune-isode where I change...Quite a lot.  
> Honestly fuck Cardin, how did he not get expelled before Beacon fell.

Chapter 4: Club Soda, and Training Roulette   
  
Monday morning was rough, as all the girls woke up in varying degrees of soreness and exhaustion. Except for Weiss who was fine. She was very adamant about them not nearly being late for school this week.   
Monday’s classes came and went, with more long lectures, more homework, and more introductions to subjects. This was when the curriculum began in earnest. And Ruby couldn’t be more spiritless on the first day. While she loved Grimm Studies and combat, it was her first class of the day, and the rest of her classes were technical and academic. She found it pretty unengaging for the most part, information she barely saw a reason for in her field like History or Botany. She was elated after her final class, running off to join Jaune for their club roulette. Today’s club was Literature, run by Professor Aegis. They got lost on the way to the classroom and arrived after most of the other students who were interested in it, or joined it, Blake being among them. Ruby and Jaune sat in a corner as the professor began her introductions, “Hello students, I am Professor Aegis. The goals of this Literature Club is to appreciate, understand, and create works of literature or writing of any kind. Each day we meet in the club, every Monday and Friday, each student will be expected to have brought a piece or section of writing in to discuss. We’ll read it, talk about its contents. Then discuss its merits and faults, if any. I invite anyone who has one in their mind or with them already to begin.”    
One student immediately raised her hand, and was invited to the front of the classroom and began discussing a poem by a well known writer from Vale, “Grace Hygrin”. Ruby wasn’t really familiar with the author, but the poem seemed easy enough to understand, the acceptance of life being out of your control and living. Pretty standard stuff she thought. Even Blake looked passive and uninterested. She looked over to Jaune to get a feel for what he might be thinking. And he seemed. Awfully contemplative, like he was thinking hard, trying to process the words of the speaker and class’ responses.  _ Maybe he’s a bit more of a thinker than he looks. _ She thought. A few more students followed suit with their own small scriptures, and at the end of the club’s session she asked Jaune, “So what did you think of our first one?” He was still looking contemplative, “I uh don’t think it's really for me. Not much of a book nut.”    
“I feel the same. But why did you look like you were thinking so hard about it?”   
“Oh, uhm. Just the words of the poem hitting a bit I guess. Bit of a sad mind set to just accept you can’t make a difference.” Ruby thought on the perspective before shoving the idea aside, “Well, I’m gonna walk back to my dorm with Blake, see ya tomorrow!”   
“Ah! But we live-” She was already rushing off to catch up to Blake. “Next to each other…”   
He sighed and began walking, only to notice that Pyrrha was waiting by the door, “Hi Jaune! How did the Literature Club go?”    
He sighs again, “Depressing.”   
“Oh...That bad huh?”   
“No, it was more just what one of the the girls had for her piece of writing to look at. It was about how life is out of your control, and you just have to accept it and live.”    
She gives a sympathetic smile, “Not the type to just accept things are you?   
“I uh. I try not to if I can help it. I can understand certain obstacles being a lot to overcome...Well uh...A lot of obstacles are a bit much for me to overcome. But I don’t think we should just accept things in life if we know it’s not right, you know?”   
“I do, yes. But I at the same time believe certain events are meant to happen. Meetings or decisions, and the like.”    
Jaune smiles and, half heartedly, “Well I guess if I was meant to meet you and the rest of our team, I can accept that.”   
  
Tuesday was disappointingly similar in Ruby’s mind. She couldn’t wait until what Blake said came true, that the days would start going faster. But eventually the school day did end, and Ruby, along with Jaune, excitedly headed towards their Tuesday club scouting.    
They arrived at the meeting classroom, but to their confusion, along with other first year students with them, there was a note on the door informing them all to go to a specific part of the campus instead. After several minutes of students following each other, attempting to find the correct spot. They all finally arrived at a garden house, with Professor Peach standing in front of the door speaking with other students who had arrived.    
After waiting several minutes for any more stragglers to show up the professor began, “Alright students, as you might be able to tell, The Gardening Club, is about gardening. But we’ll be beginning the process from the ground up,  _ literally. _ If everyone could come into the garden house and get supplied and geared up! We’re going to clear a plot of land, till it! Make the very bricks to border it! We will be seeing plants throughout their lives for the whole year! From seed to mulch!” She walked into the building with other students as Ruby and Jaune looked at each other, and without speaking; nodded their heads, turned around, and promptly decided not to join the Gardening Club.   
As they were walking back Ruby started first, “I can enjoy a garden as much as anyone else, my dad even tends to one around our house. But that just seems a bit uh, much for me.”    
“Agreed. Well we have some time to kill, what should we do now?” Ruby ponders for a moment. “Wanna go prank Yang?”   
“Uhm. Sure?”   
Ruby was certain it was a genius and poetic plot. She had stolen a pie from the Bake Club, and intended to make an appropriate joke before smashing it into Yang’s face when she least expected it. Jaune went back and paid for the pie she took.    
She waited, rather conspicuously in the hall for Yang to come back once she saw her leave the dorm room, as Jaune kept watch down the second hall if she came that way.    
Eventually Yang did come back, and noticing Ruby by the door, “Hey baby sis, what are you doing outside? You lose your keys again?”   
“H-Hey! That was back at home, not Beacon. I know just where my keys are!” She rocked on her heels with her hands behind her back.   
Yang, looking around confused for a second, “Okay? So why are you standing outside our room then?”   
“I just wanted to talk, you eaten today?”   
“Of course? Blake and I got back from the cafeteria hall like thirty minutes ago.”   
Now with a wide grin, “Did you have any dessert?”   
Yang began trying to recall her own memory, “Do they serve dessert in the cafeteria?”   
Ruby immediately yells, “They do now!” Bringing the pie around, as Yang looks back to her sister ready, grabbing her hand, and shoving the pie back into Ruby’s face.    
She falls to her knees, defeated, Blueberry filling dripping from her face, the pie tin clinked to the floor. “How...How did you know?”   
She points to Jaune who was peeking around the corner, “I could see him looking and knew something was up from the start.” Yang pats Ruby on the head as she enters the room, “Big sis is too smart for your pranks.” She tosses a towel to Ruby, “Also make sure to clean up the floor, don’t want us to get yelled at.”   
Their evening ended with Ruby having to clean herself up, and Jaune helping her clean the remaining pie from the floor.    
  
Wednesday had Ruby in a sour mood from her previous day’s failure. But she endured yet another school day’s trials. Again she joined up with Jaune, though she was uncertain how enthralled she would be with today's club. They showed up to the gym for the first day of the Fitness Club run by Professor Archibald, along with his TA. He was a terribly imposing man, with a very serious expression on his face, Ruby could swear he was a giant to her. It was a strange juxtaposition seeing him next to his TA, who seemed half his size. After being instructed to change into athletic attire in the locker room, all the students sat in the bleachers, Pyrrha and Nora happily sitting with Ruby and Jaune. To no surprise from Ruby, Professor Archibald’s voice was also imposing, “Students! This is the fitness club! While you are all encouraged to keep in fighting shape on your own, and with the standard classes,  _ this _ is where you go if you intend to get stronger!” He kept going on that path for a while. Ruby thought he was being a little overly intense for just a club, it’s not like this was a military boot club. She began to zone back into his introduction, “To that point, what matters here is not how strong you were, or are. But your determination to get better! We’ll be meeting every Wednesday and Friday for your particular training. Whether you like lifting, running, or any other kind of exercise, we got it. And every Saturday, our capstone will be a miniature tournament in each category for you to prove yourselves!”    
Ruby perked up at being able to choose whatever exercise she wanted. They were instructed to line up, inform the teacher what they wanted to do, one at a time, as the TA wrote down the information and instructed them where to go, and what to begin doing. The line became held up with Pyrrha who listed all the activities she was proficient at, but didn’t know what to focus on. They discussed for a few minutes, back and forth what Pyrrha could work on or improve, finding no answer before the small TA finally spoke up in a quiet voice, “Miss Nikos, if you can’t decide on one task or a selected cycle, why not try something you aren't proficient in to improve at it? Such as Gymnastics?” She pondered it, “That sounds like it could be a unique experience, I’ll do it.” Later it came to Nora’s turn, “Name, and what would you like to focus on?”   
She bursts, “ Nora Valkyrie!  **LIFTING** !”    
Professor Archibald took a pause after the unexpected booming voice, before having her talk to the TA and addressing the next person.   
Once it got to Ruby, she was a little intimidated, “Alright, name, and what would you like to focus on?”   
Nervously she spoke up, “Uhm. Ruby Rose, and I’d like to do running?”   
He looked up from his clipboard, “You sound unsure.”   
“I’m just uh, not sure if that’s an option and I’m checking out the club, not sure if I’m joining yet. I’m not really that strong, but I am fast!”   
“Wonderful! Of course we have running. I look forward to seeing what you can do.”   
Finally it came to Jaune’s turn, “Name and what would you like to focus on?”   
“Uhm. Jaune Arc, and I’m also just checking out the club, and am not really good at any uh, particular physical activity.”

Again now he pauses, looking up from his board, “So what would you  _ like _ to focus on or try? Any particular strength or passion?”   
“Uh, not really?”    
Archibald had a very contemplative face for a while, as his TA speaks in his place for a moment, “Do you have any friends here? You could pretty easily try some of their activities to see if they’re for you.” Archibald gasps, “Genius! Why didn’t I think of that, it was so simple!”   
“You’re too blunt in your approaches Professor.”    
Jaune sheepishly interrupting, “Uh yeah, I could do that. And I’ll um. Get back to you, at the end.”   
  
Jaune didn’t even attempt to try gymnastics with Pyrrha, he knew his limits in that regard. First he went to the weight room to meetup with Nora, who was already stacking weights on a bench press before warming up. Noticing him, “Oh! So you decided to join the big leagues with me huh?”   
“Uh, actually Nora I’m just checking out what you and Ruby are doing, I’m still not sure if I want to join the fitness club.”   
“Well then while you’re here.” She sets up a bench with weights almost equal to her own, “Let’s see what you can do team leader!” Nervously, Jaune got on the bench, and with Nora behind him as a spotter, he gripped the bar. And struggled being unable to lift it. “Huh. I guess you can’t quite do Nora strength huh?” He stops struggling, and gets up panting, “Ya, I don’t think I’m quite to your level Nora… I’m gonna go try what Ruby is doing.”    
“Okay! Have fun!” Jaune doesn’t respond, taking it as either a rude lack of response, or that he didn’t hear her, Nora continued, “Have FUN! Have  **FUN!** ”   
  
Jaune then went out to the funning field, where several people were stretching, Jaune spotted Ruby, and went to her, “Hey Ruby so uhm. What are you guys doing here?”   
“We’re stretching, getting ready to run, and waiting for either the professor or the TA. If you want to run with us, you should probably do the same.” Nervously, he starts attempting to mimic the other students stretching, though he had no idea what he was doing. After a minute, the TA came to the field with their clipboard. “If you’re all done stretching, today we’ll be focusing on endurance, and then speed Friday when we have more time to observe each activity. So just run laps around the field, counting how many as you go, and go for as long as you feel you can. While it’s good to push yourself, you should also know your limits. Inform me of your number at the end of the club period.” They begin walking away, as Ruby moves to the field with Jaune. They started running together, and after several laps, Ruby began a conversation, “So what did you think of the TA? They seem young enough to be a student, but I haven’t seen them around much at all.”   
  
Already having erratic breathing routines as he ran, Jaune responded, “I uh, don’t know. Maybe they’re a second year or something?” Ruby continued running with no issue, still keeping up the conversation, “Maybe, I wonder what’s up with them though, they look cute, but their way of speaking is just so plain you know? They’re so direct and different than Professor Archibald.”    
Jaune continued huffing as he ran, steadily falling behind Ruby as she slowed her pace to let him stay with her, “I uh. Get what. You mean. Oh geez, this is a lot.” They kept running for a few more laps before Jaune, reluctantly had to drop out of the formation to sit in the shade. By the end of the hour, everyone had stopped running, satisfied with their number, and giving it to the TA before they left to shower and get changed back into their normal clothes.    
  
Thursday’s classes seemed to go by quicker for Ruby. Or at the very least she wasn’t as bored by the routine this time. She had a lot of fun the other day getting to just run.    
Once more, by the end of the day Ruby joined up with Jaune on their way to today’s club, “So what did you think of the fitness club?”   
Jaune looked haggard still, “I uh. I think I’m gonna skip the Fitness Club. Not really my forte as you saw.” She looks a little disappointed, “Darn, I think I might actually join it. It was a lot of fun to get to just run, and I was enjoying having someone to talk to.”    
They arrived at the club room for the art club, where Professor Aigis was sitting in her desk at the front of the room, and Lie Ren and Weiss were already there in their own seats. Noticing her Ruby exclaims, “Weiss!” She looks over to see Ruby, surprised, then her eyes meet Jaune’s and her neutral face turns to a frown as she looks back to the front waiting. Dejectedly Jaune suggests, “Maybe we should uh, sit away from her or something.” Grabbing Jaune by the arm Ruby marches forward, “Why? She’s my roommate and my BFF! We’ll sit right by her.”   
Ruby sat next to Weiss as she continued to avoid looking at them. Ruby leans over to be in front of her, “Hey Weiss. We’re checking out The Art Club today.”

She looks to Ruby, not moving her head, “So I’ve gathered. You aren’t going to be a pest while I’m working will you?” Ruby smiles, “I promise I won’t.” Before leaning back. Weiss smirks, “Okay then.”    
After another moment waiting for the top of the hour, Professor Aigis stands up from her desk, “Alright students, I’ll give a brief summary since I see some students who weren’t here on Tuesday, then we’ll get started. The Art Club is focused on creating, critiquing, and appreciating visual mediums. Each week you’ll be expected to complete a piece of some kind, and for the capstone Saturday, you all will present your art, and we’ll begin practicing constructive criticism and learning how to properly critique art. As for today’s announcements, we will be doing a free paint today, as you can tell by your canvases. The point of it is to get into a creative mindset and just paint whatever you feel drawn to. Whether it's exact or abstract doesn’t matter.” Then addressing two girls in the back, “Coco, Velvet, you’re excused.” Two girls got up from the back of the class, one a rabbit faunus girl with long, straight, brown hair. And the other with shorter dark brown hair, sunglasses and a beret. And while she was wearing her uniform, she still wore her heeled boots, that clacked with every step as they walked out after thanking the teacher. Ruby looking as they left, “What art do they do?”   
Professor Aigis explained, “They take photos together. But because of their status as a high ranking second year team, they also might be put on a mission at any moment.”   
  
Satisfied with the answer Ruby sat quietly as the professor further explained where all the supplies for the paints were. Then all the students began their free paint of whatever they wanted as the professor walked around observing to see what they were doing, and offering advice if needed. Lie Ren was painting flowers on a still pond, Weiss was painting a garden of white roses in a courtyard, seeming to focus detail in the thorns especially. Aigis wasn’t sure what exactly Ruby was painting, it seemed like a mess of red and black with some white. Maybe it was an interpretive piece of a beowolf? And she was getting paint on herself, but she seemed to be having fun. As she walked over to Jaune, she noticed his canvas has only a few marks on it, and he seemed to be deeply pondering it. She approached him from the side, “Jaune, how’s your painting going?”

“I uhm. I’m really not sure what I’m meant to be doing here. I don’t think painting is cut out for me.”   
The professor smiled reassuringly, “It’s not about what you’re meant to be doing. It’s what you  _ want _ to be doing. Something you like, feelings you want to get out, maybe even something as simple as two colors put in a way you enjoy. There is no correct answer here, Jaune.” She continued to other students as he thought on the words. Jaune then forced himself to put brush to canvas, creating random shapes with whatever color’s he thought would be good. He seemed drawn to yellow, red, black, and blue. At the end of the club time, each student briefly presented their art, and what they intended it to be, though Jaune had no answer what his was aside from a series of strokes he simply felt like he wanted to do.    
After the club, they were instructed to take their paintings with them. Ruby and Jaune walked back to their dorms, with Ren staying behind to work on something, and Weiss insisting she had something to do at the library.    
Excitedly, and still with paint on her hands and a bit on her face, Ruby asked, “Soooo, what did you think of that one? I thought it was pretty fun for that first one for checking it out.”   
Jaune was actually smiling, “Yeah, I had fun with it too. Though I also don’t know if I’ll join that club. Doing an actual art piece each week seems a bit much for my level.”   
“Well we still have one more tomorrow!”   
  
Friday had finally arrived. Jaune was tired after this week of musical clubs, and classes. He was nervous about this last day’s club as Ruby hadn’t told him what it was. So he was surprised when they arrived at a club room with the sign, “Board Game Club” written on it. They walked in together to see only a few students were here for now, already setting up games to play with each other. And at the desk in front was Ozpin who, noticing them, “Ms. Rose, Mr. Arc please come in and make yourselves comfortable, I’ll be doing the introductions shortly once I’m certain everyone who is coming has arrived.” They obliged, sitting at one table as Jaune scanned the board games on the shelf. There were so many, even ones he hadn’t heard of.    
More students arrived, the last of which was Yang, who excitedly ran over to sit by Ruby at their table. At the top of the hour, Ozpin stood up, “To make a long point short, because of my position, I am unable to stay here for very long. It will be up to you all to maintain this room and ensure everything goes back to its rightful place. As you might imagine, The Board Game club is one where you will all play board games, strengthening your strategic and tactical minds.

While we don’t have much in the way of a weekly capstone, it will still be another club day excluding tomorrow. If you so choose you can organize tournaments amongst yourselves however. Have fun.” At that, Ozpin turned and left out of the room rather suddenly.    
Yang was the first to speak up, “So you guys wanna play something simple we all know like Risk of Remnant?” They all collectively agreed and began their game. Jaune was familiar with the game, but he hadn’t played it in several months, so he became nervous at how aggressively Ruby played. Confidently fighting Jaune’s forces, while poking at Yang’s as well. They kept this stalemate up for several minutes before Yang, who had been mostly silent up to this point, began mobilizing her own forces, completely destroying Ruby, and allowing Jaune a chance to gain some of her territory before she lost. Ruby dejectedly put her head down on the table, “Come on Yang! I hardly ever get to win…”    
“Play better and you will baby sis. Now, Jaune I hope you’re ready for what’s coming.”   
Jaune was concerned for a second, she looked so calm and sure of herself. But he calmed down, and to the surprise of both him, and the girls, he held his own, the game going all the way to the end of the club’s meeting with Yang finally beating him out. He sat back, disappointed at the loss. But still smiling from the experience, as he began putting the game away. Yang, who was also in high spirits after the encounter, “You’re tougher than you look huh? I mean, not as tough as I am, but I’m impressed Jaune.”   
“Thanks, I had a couple friends who played it with me, so I ended up learning quite a bit.” This was an unusual feeling. Praise for something he had been proficient at. 

Saturday arrived, and with it, the weekly sparring course. Glynda Goodwitch gathered the first batch of students in the auditorium. At the moment it looked like an arena with lecture hall seats around it. RWBY and JNPR among them, as they took their seats, and Glynda began. “Hello students, and welcome to the first Saturday sparring course. As you should be able to infer, we will be having sparring matches as I instruct you on concepts viewed in the combat. Now, our first two combatants will be, Jaune Arc, and Cardin Winchester.” Jaune gulps as Pyrrha gives him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.    
The two students got their combat gear ready, Jaune with his sword and shield, and Cardin with his mace, and they stood at opposite sides of the raised platform. With a smug grin, Cardin boasted, “Get ready to lose, loser.” Glynda counted them down, and started their sparring timer. Immediately Cardin rushed at Jaune with his mace to the ground, swinging it up as he got to Jaune. Panicking at the sudden start, Jaune raised his shield to block it, but was knocked back from the impact. Attempting to counter, he recovered and ran from Cardin’s off hand side to slash with his sword. Only for Cardin to twist, and raise his mace to block the strike. Cardin went back to his one hand position, and in between, Jaune charged his shield into Cardin, striking him, to seemingly no avail. Effortlessly Cardin slammed his mace into Jaune’s side, knocking him back. He was already winded from this encounter. Cardin stood confidently waiting and chuckling at Jaune’s state.    
Aggravated, Jaune charged at Cardin, who sidestepped, and swung his mace into Jaune’s shield again, this time knocking it completely out of his grasp. Jaune charges again with his sword, swinging at Cardin, who raises his mace, locking the weapons together. Cardin used the opportunity to use his own imposing figure to tower over Jaune, “This is the part you lose.”   
“Oh yeah, over my dea-”   
Jaune is cut off as Cardin stood up straight suddenly, fully extending his right leg into a kick in Jaune’s gut. Leaving him on the ground. Cardin raises his mace, seemingly to finish Jaune off before the buzzer ends, and Glynda begins speaking, “Cardin, that’s enough!” With a disappointed huff, he stops and walks off the platform. Glynda continues, “Students, as you can see, Mr. Arc’s aura has now dropped into the red. In a tournament-styled duel, this would indicate that Jaune is no longer fit to continue battling. And is the official end of a match.” She turns to Jaune who is struggling to get up, “Mr. Arc, while it is only the second week, please try to refer to your scroll during combat. Gauging your Aura, and that of your teammates will help you decide when is an appropriate time to attack, or when it might be more prudent to employ a more...defensive strategy. We wouldn’t want you to be gobbled up by a beowolf, now, would we?”    
Putting his equipment back into a case, Cardin mumbles, “Speak for yourself…” He immediately shrinks back to his task as Glynda stares daggers into him.    
Glynda then continues, “Now, the next two students are: Yang Xiao Long, and Kai Dawner. Please come down to the stage.”    
Jaune struggles back to his seat, still feeling the impact of the kick that floored him, as his team attempted to comfort him. He watched the remaining sparring matches, disappointed by his own performance in the face of the others fighting. The hour waned on, with Jaune becoming further dejected at the performance of all his classmates, until Glynda began with her final announcement. “Remember, everyone, the Vytal Festival is next summer. Students will be arriving after this semester as exchange students from the other kingdoms, so keep practicing. Those who choose to compete in the combat tournament will be representing all of Vale!”   
The bell rings and the students begin shuffling out of the auditorium, while some others who were waiting outside enter. Pyrrha helps Jaune out.    
Jaune’s mood didn’t improve the remainder of the week, but on Thursday others finally addressed it.    
Both team JNPR and RWBY were sitting at a long table in the dining hall eating their lunch, as Nora was in the middle of a story. “So! There we were, in the middle of the night…”   
Ren corrects, “It was day.” Nora shoots him a look, and continues to an audience of Blake who was looking at her book, and Yang who was listening intently to every word.   
“We were surrounded by Ursai…”

‘They were Beowolves.” Ren corrected again.   
“Dozens of them!”   
“Two of them.”   
Again she looks to him with a pouting expression, and continues. “But they were no match… And in the end, Ren and I took them down and made a ton of money selling the Ursa skins as rugs!”   
Ren chimes in once more, “She’s been having this recurring dream for nearly a month now.”   
  
Pyrrha and Ruby look to Jaune, who had just been staring at his food the whole time, not eating. Pyrrha in a concerned tone, “Jaune? Are you okay?”   
Immediately he deflects, “Huh? Oh yeah! Why?”   
Ruby starts, “It’s just that you seem a little. Not okay…”   
Pyrrha adds, “Is it because of Cardin? Because he’s been bullying you?”   
“Oh it’s not that, I’m just uh. It’s nothing.”   
“Well clearly it  _ is  _ something. You’ve been despondent since Saturday. Was it the time he locked you in one of the rocket lockers and sent you flying?”   
“No…”   
Ruby chimes in, “What about the time he tripped you in the hall?”   
“Guys! I told you, it’s not Cardin… Well. Not entirely.”   
Their attention is drawn away to another table from sounds of pleading, as they see Cardin holding Velvet, the rabbit faunus girl, by her ears teasing her as she’s trying to get out of the grasp. The rest of his team berating her for her physical appearance. At this Yang begins standing up with red in her eyes, but Pyrrha beats her, swiftly getting up, walking to Cardin, and in the most stern voice any of her friends had heard from her, “Cardin. Release her.” He scoffs, “Or what, warrior princess?” Pyrrha grips his arm that’s holding Velvet, channeling her aura into her arm and crushing his with an audible sound. He yells out and lets go of her. “Gah! Damnit, you’ll pay for that w-” He’s cut off by the image of all of teams RWBY and JNPR behind Pyrrha. Cardin shrinks back, beginning to leave with his team, “W-well this wouldn’t happen alone! You’ll be sorry.”    
Both teams returned to their seats, as Pyrrha was behind ensuring Velvet was okay, who thanked her. When she returned, Nora commented on the situation, “Wow Pyrrha, you’re sure scary when you want to be.” Still upset, but calming down, Pyrrha responded, “It’s atrocious. I can’t stand people like him.”

Blake continued staring daggers in the direction they left, “There’s sadly so many more than just him…”   
Yang leaned her head against her hand, sadly, “It must be hard to be a faunus in a society that’s predominantly human.”   
Jaune takes the moment to pick up his tray and leave alone.   
  
It was the beginning of the second month of school near the middle of the week. And Jaune was asleep in history class, as professor Oobleck hastily paced from side to side of the room explaining the lecture to the rest of his class, “Yes! Yes, prior to the Faunus Rights Revolution-more popularly known as the Faunus War-humankind was quite, quite adamant about centralizing the Faunus population in Menagerie.” He points to a section of the map with his stick, pointing to a fish shaped continental island in the South Eastern part of the map of Remnant. “Now while this must feel like ancient history to many of you, it is imperative to remember that these are relatively recent events! Why, the repercussions of the uprising can still be seen to this day!” He continues sipping coffee from his thermos. “Now! Have any among you been subjugated or discriminated against because of your Faunus heritage?”   
Several students raise their hands, as Velvet hesitantly follows.    
  
Oobleck shakes his head sadly before continuing, “Dreadful, simply dreadful! Remember, students, it is precisely this ignorance that breeds violence!” He returns to the front of the class again, drinking from his thermos as he goes. “I mean, I mean I mean just look at what happened with the White Fang. Now which one of you young scholars can tell me what many theorize to be the turning point in the third year of the war?” Weiss raises her hand, and Oobleck points to her, “Yes?”   
Weiss confidently, “The battle at Fort Castle.”   
“Precisely! And, who can tell me the advantage the Faunus had over General Lagune’s forces?”   
Cardin flicks a paper ball down to Jaune, waking him up with a start, “Huh!”   
Oobleck points his yard stick in Jaune’s face, “Mr. Arc! Finally contributing! This is excellent! Excellent! What is the answer?”   
Jaune, dazed and confused, “Uhhh… The advantage...The Faunus… had… over that guy’s stuff was uhm... “ He looks over to Pyrrha who begins motioning to her eyes.    
“They uhhhh… Had Binoculars!” The class has a light laughter come up, as Oobleck returns to the front of the class, and Pyrrha slaps her forehead. 

As Oobleck returned to his desk, “very funny, Mr. Arc! Cardin! Perhaps you would care to share your idea on what advantage the Faunus had?”

Cardin scoffs, “Well, I know it’s a lot easier to train an  _ animal _ than a soldier.” Pyrrha and Blake glare at him as Pyrrha comments, “You’re not the most open-minded of individuals, are you, Cardin?”   
“What? you got a problem?” He begins to get out of his seat as Pyrrha turns around ignoring him, “No, I have the answer, unlike you. It’s night vision. Many Faunus are known to have nearly-perfect sight in the dark.”   
Blake continues her point, “General Lagune was inexperienced, making the mistake of attempting a night ambush of the Faunus. Not realizing they had nocturnal Faunus. His massive army was outmatched, and the general was captured.” She turns to Cardin, “Perhaps if he’d paid attention in class, he wouldn’t have been remembered as such a failure.” Cardin stands up fully with his fist clenched as Oobleck puts a stop to it. “Mr. Winchester! Please take your seat. You and Mr. Arc can see me after class for additional readings… Moving on!”   
  
After the lesson, the class leaves besides Jaune and Cardin. Pyrrha stops at the door. “You all go ahead. I’ll wait for Jaune.”

Pyrrha peaked in to hear Oobleck’s ending talk, “You two have been struggling in my class since day one! I don’t know if it’s a lack of interest, caring, or simply your own stubborn nature. But whatever the reason, it ends now! You’ve worked to gain entrance into the school, and we only accept the best, so I expect you to act like it. History is important, gentlemen! If you can’t learn from it...you’re destined to repeat it. Now. Pages fifty-one to ninety-one! I want an essay on my desk by next class tomorrow! Now! Run along.”   
He briskly walks out, in a flash past Pyrrha, Cardin leaving first and Jaune coming out behind him. She tries to reassure him, “You know, I really will break Cardin’s legs.” Jaune sighs, and seemingly struck by inspiration, she exclaims, “I have an idea! Come with me!”

Pyrrha led Jaune up to the roof of the student housing building. It was near sundown as they looked over several of the buildings. Jaune looked to the ground, “Uhm. Pyrrha, I know I’m having a hard time right now, but I don’t think I’m that depressed. I could always be a farmer or something.”   
With a realization of horror, Pyrrha corrects herself, “N-n-no!” She dashes and pulls Jaune away from the edge. “That’s not why I brought you up here! Jaune. I know you’re having a difficult time in class and with fighting. And I want to help you!”   
Confused he starts, “Wh-what?”   
“We can train up here after class where no one can bother us!”   
“You uh. Think I need help?”   
She looks sympathetically to him, “Jaune, everybody needs help from time to time. It doesn’t make you any different from all of us. You made it to Beacon! That speaks volumes of what you’re capable of!”    
He turns away from her, with his head to the ground and his voice shaking, “You’re wrong. I don’t belong here.”   
“That’s a terrible thing to say! Of course you do!”   
Now his voice was frustrated, “No I don’t! I wasn’t really accepted into Beacon…” He continues avoiding her eye contact as she attempts to reassure him, “What do you mean?”   
“I mean I didn’t go to a combat school, I didn’t pass any tests. I didn’t earn my spot here! I lied … I got my hands on fake transcripts...and lied…”   
Pyrrha, now in disbelief, “What? But… why?”    
He sits dejectedly on the side of the roof, “Cause this is what I’ve wanted to be! My dad, my grandad, and his dad before him were all warriors! Heroes! And I… wanted to be one too… But I was never good enough.”   
She walks up, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder, “Then let me help you!”   
He gets up and turns away from her again in frustration, “I don’t want help! I don’t want to be someone to be rescued. I want to be able to do things on my own… I’m  _ tired _ of being the loveable idiot… Stuck in a tree while his friends fight for their lives. If I can’t do this on my own, then what good am I?”    
Pyrrha reaches her hand out to put on his shoulder, before deciding against it. He turns to her, “Pyrrha, I’m sorry. Could I just. Be alone for a bit?’   
She lowers her head sadly, “If that’s what you think is best…” she walks away as Jaune remains alone on the roof. Looking out at Beacon and Vale as the twilight overtakes them both. Dejectedly he softly mumbles to himself, “Damnit…”   
  
Near the end of the second month of school, Pyrrha sat at her desk by the window, looking forlorn out the window, as Ren worked on his weapons, and Nora bounced on the bed. She decided now would be as good a time as any to ask, “How come Jaune gets home so late?”   
Ren continued working on his weapon not looking up, “He’s become rather scarce since two weeks ago.”   
"That’s  _ weird…  _ After all, doesn’t he know we have a field trip tomorrow? We need our rest as a team!” She falls into her bed. Pyrrha, almost absent mindedly, and frustrated, “I’m sure our leader knows what he’s doing.”   
Nora and Ren exchange glances and Nora continues, “Mmmm… I guess so. It’s just that you two haven’t been talking much.”   
Unbeknownst to them, Jaune was looking in through a crack in the door, before dejectedly moving down the hall with his head hung low as he’s interrupted by a voice, “Hey, Jaune!” He’s startled, taking a stance only to see her in her pajamas, giggling at his reaction. “Long time, no see. Did you lose your keys? I get that.”   
He attempts to make up an excuse, “I uh…” After a few seconds of silence as they walked, he gave up, “I messed up. I did something I shouldn’t have. And now Pyrrha won’t talk to me, and...I’m starting to think coming to this school was a bad idea on my part. I’m a failure.” he slumps to the ground against a wall.   
Continuing her grin, Ruby booped him on the nose, “Nope!”   
He looks up at her in surprise, “Nope?”   
“Nope! You’re a leader now, Jaune. You aren’t allowed to be a failure”   
“But… what if I’m just a failure at being a leader?   
Ruby feigns thinking about it for a few seconds, “Nope!” She sits on the floor by him.   
“You know, you aren’t really the easiest person to talk to about this kind of stuff.”   
She smiles again, “Nope! Jaune, maybe you saw yourself as a failure when you were a kid, and maybe even the first day we met. But you can’t be one now. Know why?”   
“Uhhh. Because…?”   
“Because it’s not just about  _ you _ anymore. You’re a part of a team now, Jaune. You and I both. And if we fail, then it’s them we’re bringing down with us.” She stands up again, “We have to put our teammates first, and ourselves second. And in turn, they’ll support you with their best. Your team deserves a great leader, Jaune.” She extends a hand to help him up, which he accepts, “It’s up to you to become that great leader.”    
Ruby walks back to her dorm room, and as she enters, softly waves to him, while whispering, “Have a good night, Jaune!”   
Jaune smiles, and moves to his own door. And taking a breath with some new found inspiration, enters his team’s room.   
  
The next day, teams; RWBY, JNPR, CRDL, and RDWD were gathered in the Forever Fall forest, North of Vale. Currently being guided by Glynda Goodwitch who was mid lecture on the forest, “And while the Forever Fall forest indeed beautiful due to its constantly falling red leaves, we aren’t here to sight-see. Professor Peach has tasked each of you to collect samples of tree sap from some of the older trees further into the woods. And I’m here to ensure none of you die while doing so.” They all stop further down a path as Glynda turns to them all and continues, holding up a large glass jar, “Each of you is to gather one jar’s worth of red sap. However, this forest is inhabited by grimm, so be sure you stay by your teammates. We will rendezvous back here at four. Have fun!”   
All the students proceeded to split into their teams and gather from any tree they found to be of quality. Though some shenanigans occurred with Yang constantly attempting to drip sap onto her sister, to the amusement of both their team and JNPR, whom Jaune was attempting to catch up to before he was pulled away by Cardin, “Hey Jaune, buddy. Let’s go a bit deeper into the woods. You know, get that real quality stuff for Professor Peach.” Reluctant, but unable to stop them, Jaune was forced to go further into Forever Fall with CRDL as his team began to look around for him. Nora asks Pyrrha, “Wasn’t Jaune a little ways behind us? Where did he go?”   
Pyrrha was looking around, growing concerned she couldn’t see Jaune, or team CRDL. “I’m going to check around.”   
As Pyrrha looked around the woods off the path, she could hear voices, and followed them to find team CRDL with Jaune, heading out into a clear patch. She was about to jump in and help him, before thinking about what Jaune said to her. Pyrrha moved to the edge of the woods, and decided to simply watch and wait to see if Jaune needed her.    
  
Cardin pushes Jaune into a clearing, and gets his weapon ready. “Alright, Jauney boy. You ready for a rematch with no girls to save you this time?” Jaune looked around nervously, as the rest of Cardin’s team formed a semi-circle, blocking the path to the rest of the groups. “I figured I’d start with you since you’re the smallest and well uh. Weakest. Easiest to deal with? I’d really like to get my hands around that warrior princess’ throat. But maybe she’ll be shaken enough to reach that point after I send you back bruised and beaten.” At this Jaune froze, clenching his fists in anger, “I don’t care what you try to do to me Cardin. But you aren’t going to touch my team.” Cardin punches Jaune in the face, sending him to the ground and continuing his taunting, “I don’t think you really get a choice in the matter, Jaune.”    
At this Jaune kicks into Cardin’s leg, stunning him, as he scrambles up and gets his weapon ready.    
“You really think this is going to go any different than last time?” Jaune smiled with defiance, “I’ll make it go differently.” Cardin, now enraged at his newfound confidence, charges at Jaune, striking into his shield. But Jaune stood firm, only for Cardin to hook his fist into Jaune’s gut, and then knock him away with the mace. Cardin walks up to him, and picks Jaune up by the collar, lifting him up to meet his eyes. “Let’s see how much of a man you  _ really _ are.” At this Jaune bashes his skull into Cardin’s, forcing the man to drop him as Jaune stumbles up again, getting ready to fight. Cardin was fuming, and in a fitting fashion, charged at Jaune like a bull, his mace ready. But as he struck down into Jaune’s shield, there was a flash of white light, and his weapon rebounded away. To the shock of everyone, Jaune included, he was glowing with a bright white Aura, and his wounds were healing completely. After the shock, Jaune smiles, now with confidence, and readied his weapons to fight, once more.   
  
Pyrrha silently cheered and softly clapped her hands from the side. But it was because of this lapse in focus she didn’t notice the dark presence approaching her from behind. She heard an imposing growl, and turned; but as soon as she did a large claw swept at her, knocking her out into the clearing, tumbling as she went from the sheer force. When she finally landed, she was in pain. She tried getting up, only to realize she had sprained her ankle.    
Jaune and CRDL looked in surprise, first to Pyrrha who had flown out of the woods, tumbling as she went, and then what followed behind her. An Ursa Major, twice the size of his minor counterparts, and covered in jagged spikes jutting out of every part of its back. It roared, shaking all of Team CRDL but Cardin, who ran up to it swinging his mace. Only for the Ursa to swipe him away without a second thought. Jaune runs to Pyrrha as fast as he could, “Pyrrha! Are you okay? Can you walk?”    
She smiles through it, “I’m fine. I. I don’t know if I can run though.”   
The Ursa Major roars once more, this time it sends all of team CRDL running, abandoning Jaune and Pyrrha as the Grimm turns its gaze to them. Thinking for a few seconds, Jaune makes up his mind, and stands between Pyrrha and the Grimm. The Grimm slashes at Jaune, but he blocks it, slashing at the monster's stomach. Now angry, the Ursa lunges, attempting to crush Jaune as he rolls out of the way, swiping at its heels as he does, making the Grimm stumble. He turns to face his opponent again, only to be met by a claw smashing into him, knocking him away. Jaune jumps up to his feet, and charges it again, lunging to attack the monster as it swipes him away. The Ursa turns back to him, as he pulls his scroll out to check his aura, which is in the red. Jaune grits his teeth in frustration, but starts to run at the Ursa, as the creature in turn runs to him. As they’re about to clash, Pyrrha sees Jaune has left himself completely open to attack. She lifts her arm towards him, gathering aura into it, and just as the Ursa is about to hit Jaune, his shield raises, as if on its own, and blocks the swipe. Using the opportunity, Jaune pushes his shield up to open up the Ursa’s underside, as he makes a wide slash at the beast’s neck. Black inky fluid spurting out of it as the creature topples over, and slowly begins to dissipate. Jaune smiles, catching his breath, before remembering Pyrrha, and runs back to her. “Did you see that?!”   
She giggles, “I did. You were amazing, team leader.”

“I’m sorry uhm. Hold on, I can carry you back to the others.”    
Pyrrha knew that others would come to help them, but didn’t protest and instead smiled as Jaune lifted her up, and began carrying her back. As they walked jaune asked, “What were you doing there by the way?” Forgetting their rooftop discussion until now, Pyrrha responded, “I was worried when I didn’t see you or team CRDL with us all. So I uh. Went to find you. And when I did, I remembered what you said on the rooftop. And decided to wait until you really needed me.” She giggles again, “Though you did amazing on your own, and I actually needed you it seems.” He smiles at her, “Well I uh. I don’t know about that, I’m sure he just got the drop on you, is all.”    
“Something like that.”   
After a moment of silence Jaune finally asks, “In that last part of the fight. It felt like my arm was pulled up to block his attack. Even though I didn’t see it coming.”   
Now nervously, Pyrrha responds, “Well, maybe your fighting instincts knew.”   
“We both know I don’t have that Pyrrha.”   
She quietly sat in his arms as he continued walking for a minute before answering, “My semblance is Polarity. I saw you were completely open. So I gave you a nudge. But that doesn’t discount everything else you did Jaune. You won that fight. We support each other as partners.” She laughs to herself, “ _ Literally _ in our current case.” They both laugh softly at the joke.   
  
The two of them returned to the worried group. After ensuring they were alright, Glynda called the field trip concluded early, with everyone quickly gathering their sap and heading back.    
Later that night, Jaune stood on the top of the dorm building, looking out at the green lights of Beacon. Pyrrha comes up behind him with her bandaged leg and crutches, “No hiding from us tonight?”   
  
He turns to her at first excited, and then looking down sadly, “Pyrrha...I’m sorry. I was a jerk. You only tried to be nice, and I was… delusional and out of line, and I-” She cuts him off, “Jaune! It’s alright!” Their eyes meet and the smile to each other, “Your team misses their leader.” She begins moving to the door inside, “You should come down. Ren made pancakes, no syrup though. You can thank Nora for that.”    
Jaune smiles, but then holds his hand out, “Wait!” Pyrrha turns to face him, as Jaune fidgets, “I know I don’t deserve it after all that I said. But...would you still be willing to help me… To help me fight better. For my team, and for you.”    
Pyrrha turns around for a moment so Jaune can’t see her sudden smile. Then she goes over to Jaune, and pushes one of her crutches into his stomach, pushing him to the ground.   
“Hey!”   
She leans over him, “Your stance is all wrong. You need to be wider and lower to the ground.” She smiles down at him, “Now let’s try it again.”  
  



	5. Chapter 5: The Stray/ Finale (Volume 1 end)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We're finally here! The end of Volume 1! It sure has been nearly 3 months, huh?   
> The Stray and Black and White, except I added a bunch of stuff for fun.

“Blake?”    
Blake opened her eyes to see Ruby standing over her smiling. “Ruby? What’s up?”    
Ruby sat beside her in the grass Blake was laying in, “Nothing much. Was on my way home from the baking club’s room. Did you know they make stuff like every day?” She rummages through her bag to pull out a plastic bag with 4 cookies in it. She takes one out to offer to Blake.   
“You didn’t steal those did you?”    
Ruby scoffs, “No I did not! They yelled at me for the pie that Jaune paid for already… But I’ll have you know I made these myself!”   
“I thought you joined the fitness club?”   
“I did! But any day I’m not doing that I can go to the bakery and work on stuff there. It just smells like bread, and cookies, and it’s just wonderful. And! You can make stuff for yourself if you have time after club activities.” Blake smiled, “Alright, then I can accept your gift.” Blake took the cookie and began eating it. Her eyes went wide with her first bite. The texture, the flavor. It was immaculate somehow, “Ruby have you been baking for a while?”   
“Oh yeah! Ever since I was little I would force our dad to let me help whenever he made bread or my mom’s birthday cake.”    
Blake’s face turned forlorn, “Right. Yang mentioned your mom.”   
“Oh don’t worry! I mean.” Ruby began looking down at the grass with her legs tucked against her chest, “I didn’t really ever get to know her. It’s why I like hearing stories about her so much. And why we celebrate her birthday every year. Me, Yang, our dad, and my uncle Qrow. It helps me feel a little closer to her.”    
Blake smiled at her before looking back up at the sky, “It’s a wonderful sentiment to remember her.”   
Ruby took a deep breath to collect herself before looking over to Blake, “So what were you doing out here by the way? Literature club wiped you out and needed a nap?”   
Blake giggled, “No, I just wanted to enjoy the weather while I can. Even though it’s the middle of Fall, Winter will be here before we know it.”

“Ugh. Don’t remind me. It’s gonna be so cold… But at least  _ my _ birthday is this month!”   
“Really? Which day?”   
“October 31st. I get to celebrate both my day, and Candy Day at the same time!”   
They continued to sit in the temperate weather for a while, until the sun began to set behind the buildings and the girls decided to return to their dorm.    
  
Ruby got up groggy in her bed. Her sister was playing music from her radio again. She hated Yang’s passive aggressive way of telling her to wake up. But she hated the fact it was Wednesday more… Sleepily she jumped down out of her bed and began to dress herself, before grabbing her uniform and heading for the showers.   
The day’s classes passed slowly, as they did every Wednesday without fail. Port ended up talking about one of his  **many** stories again, rather than anything about the Grimm or tactics or fighting techniques like she wanted. During his story Ruby’s thoughts began to wander, “Where exactly did the Grimm come from. How many kinds were there she hadn’t seen before?” She had heard other regions had grimm unique to their environments, and that Vale’s area was unique, in that it had a varied assortment of grimm of all kinds.   
She was ecstatic when her gambit of classes was finished at the end of the day, she quickly ran to the gym to get changed and start her session at the Fitness Club. She waited excitedly outside of the girls’ locker room for Pyrrha and Nora to come out. She quickly greeted them, noting Pyrrha was still in her crutches, “You going to be alright with your ankle, Pyrrha?”    
She smiled warmly back to Ruby, “I’ll be fine. I should be able to walk on it in another week or two. And until then I am still able to use my arms fine. So I’ll be doing certain weights with Nora.” Nora began to shepherd them towards the weight room, “Yeup! We’re gonna get Pyrrha’s arms and core so strong she could use her hands as legs!”    
Getting to the weight room, they all began warming up with stretches, while they still had several minutes before the club began in earnest, they didn’t want to just sit. As Ruby was doing her stretches Nora asked her, “So aren’t you supposed to be in the running area?”   
“I can make it over there quick enough before we start. Besides, it’s not like I need to be there to stretch right? By the way, Pyrrha, how's Jaune been doing?”    
Pyrrha’s face lit up, “Oh he’s doing wonderful! He’s been hanging out with Ren more, and has been training with me to get better, and he’s making such good progress.”    
Nora looked at Pyrrha with a smug expression, “Boy, you’re just gushing over our team leader huh?”   
“Of course I am! I was worried for those weeks we weren’t talking much. But now, even in about a week, he’s clearly determined to get better. And I’m so delighted to be the one to help him.”   
  
The bell rang to signify the top of the hour and Ruby rushed off to the running field with the other runners, just in time for the TA, Libra, to get there with their clipboard. All the runners gathered around them, “Today is pretty simple, you know the routine: Stretch, three miles, then rest. After, go for speed first, then go for endurance. We’ll meet up again at the top of the hour to compare to last week.” And with that, they turned and went back into the gym for their next group. Ruby was perplexed by them, they were so small, with such a soft voice. Yet they were also so direct with their speech and attitude. Like they only ever had one thing on their mind, eternally focusing only on it. As she got to the line she overheard some of the other girls talking, “I wish Libra’d stay around a bit longer. We barely have the chance to talk to them.”    
“Don’t think about trying to get with them. They’re a second year, they’ll be off on field study next year.”    
“True, but that’s still a year of fun right?”   
Ruby went back to her running while still thinking. They even seemed popular, yet she had only ever seen them in the fitness club. She wasn’t even aware of what their team looked like.    
She continued her running, but it continued to be on her mind.    
At the end of the hour, Libra returned to record and compare all of the girl’s running scores, but as they left Ruby followed next to them, “Hey! I’m Ruby Rose, you’re Libra right?”    
They looked to her with a slight shock before responding, “Uhm. Yes I am. Can I help you?”   
“I just don’t see you around the campus much, so I wanted to ask if you wanted to hang out after this?”   
Libra stared at her for a few seconds before sighing, “Sure. Just meet me outside the gym when we both get done changing. So long as you don’t mind us not doing much besides talking.”   
“Yay! See you soon!” And Ruby ran off to the locker room.    
  
Ruby finished cleaning herself off and changing back to her casual clothes, and met Libra outside of the gym. As they began to walk with Libra remaining silent, Ruby wasted no time in starting a discussion, “Soooo uhm. How come I don’t see you around much?”   
They thought for a moment, “I suppose I just don’t go out much. I’m often helping Professor Archibald with things or not doing much besides school work.”    
“Oh. Well uh, what do you like to do when you’re not doing work stuff?”   
“I guess I enjoy sitting outside and watching things happen as time goes by. Sometimes I’ll sit around the courtyard and watch people as they do things.” They sat on a bench by Beacon Tower, watching the people as they went by. Going to and from clubs, or heading back to their dorms. Some going inside Beacon tower, and others hanging out themselves. In the silence, Ruby finally started speaking after fidgeting for a bit, “So if you don’t mind me asking, how come you accepted my offer so easily and quickly. I don’t mean offense but you just seem a little uh…”   
“Unapproachable?”    
“Yeah, I uh, didn’t quite know how to say it nicely.”   
“It’s fine. I am a bit because of my general attitude if I don’t know someone or aren’t comfortable with them. But to answer you, I could tell you weren’t going to stop until I said yes.”   
“Woooow. Are you a mind-reader?”   
Libra chortled, breaking their placid face, “Oh my god, no. My semblance is uhm. I guess you could call it a mood reader of sorts. If I activate it, I can see the color of people’s mood, and infer from there. It took awhile to figure out what the colors meant however.”    
Ruby was looking at them beaming, “That’s so cool! You can like, predict what they might do based on their mood, or try and make them real angry!”   
“I uh, I guess. I don’t think to use it much when I fight. Not much point when I mostly fight grimm, you know?”    
  
Ruby suddenly tempered herself, “Oh right, I guess we aren’t meant to be fighting people too much, ha ha.” She looked around for a bit before continuing, “So it was only cause you knew I wouldn’t give up?”   
Libra wasn’t looking at her, but was smiling, “Well. I guess it’s also cause you’re around my height. It’s nice to not have to look up at someone in a conversation.”   
“Ugh! Oh my god I know what you mean! My sister is taller than me, and it’s a pain.” Libra laughed again. Ruby couldn’t help but think how different they looked now compared to how she saw them before when they didn’t smile once.    
“So, why don’t you tell me more about your sister? And then I can talk about my team a bit.”

The two students enthusiastically shared information, talking through the rest of the evening, until the sun went down and they had to return to their dorms.  
  
  
Thursday morning, Weiss was woken up again by the sound of activity in her room. Yang doing her hair and Blake getting up. She quietly began her morning routine: going to shower, dress in her uniform and fix up her hair, then going down to the cafeteria to have her breakfast by herself. Then returned to her room to gather her school supplies and leave with her teammates. She was mostly quiet as her teammates bantered on their way to class. She didn’t know what to talk with them about, she barely knew what they liked besides surface level. She could always ask, but she was still a bit apprehensive. Suddenly a large arm was around her as Yang was hugging her from the side, “Yo Weiss, you been quiet, wanna go with us to see them set up some of the Fall Festival decorations?” Weiss yelped before shoving Yang off her, “Don’t touch me! … Uhm… Please.” Yang’s expression suddenly became apologetic, “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you weren’t super into that kind of thing, sorry. I won’t do it again unless you’re cool with it.” 

“It’s… alright. I just need some kind of warning.”    
Weiss quickly hurried ahead of her team to their classes, taking her seat. She listened attentively, as she always did. Took notes dutifully, as she always did. Volunteered to answer any question the teachers asked, as she always did. She was determined to prove she belonged there, at Beacon with team RWBY. For people to see her as Weiss. Though her team asked if she was alright, inquiring about this morning. She would brush it off that she was simply surprised. Truth be told she wasn’t used to warm contact since her sister moved out of their home. Only an icy grip… 

She was used to having to avoid it. Hide it. She didn’t want to bother them with her own issues. They were hers to overcome.    
At the end of her school day, she left immediately to get changed, grab her supplies, and go to the art club. She did feel bad for not interacting with her team more. But how could she? It had only been a couple months since they met. With a… less than welcoming reception on her part. She was quick to be defensive, and aggressive, and didn’t know how to act around the others in most cases. Perhaps she should try a one at a time method of getting to know them, that might be easier. It’s not as if she didn’t enjoy them. Well. Most of the time. Yang’s music is uncouth, and loud, and Ruby is… persistent. Blake was quiet and seemed cultured, enjoying tea and literature. She might be the best place to start. 

Weiss entered the art room, once again as the first to arrive, and greeted Professor Aegis, she looked tired, working on papers and on her scroll. After taking her position with an easel, she began to take out and set up her supplies, as well as gathering some from the room. As she sat down again, the professor looked over at Weiss, “How are you doing today Miss Schnee? Are you making friends with your teammates?”    
“Uhm. Well. We’re getting along fine. We’ve gone out together once or twice.”    
“I suppose it has only been a couple months. I know the club hasn’t technically started yet, but what are you working on this week to present?”   
Weiss looked down, away from her, “I’m actually going to paint over my project and try again… I wasn’t satisfied with it.” Professor Aegis looked up from her work, “That’s too bad. What were you dissatisfied with?”    
Weiss sighed, “I don’t know. It feels… Plain.”    
“Would you mind if I took a look with you? Maybe I could help identify the block.”    
“Uhm. Sure, I don’t see why not.”    
Professor Aegis stood up from her desk and walked over next to Weiss to look at her painting. “Oh, you were doing flowers in a courtyard again.”    
“Yes. Is that an issue?”    
“Oh no! There’s no problem. The point of the club is to cultivate yourself in your artistry. However you see as the best way of doing that. But, you’re a very determined woman, Weiss, perhaps you’re feeling a bit stuck, or stagnated?”    
Weiss looked up at her puzzled, “What do you mean? I thought my flowers looked fine.”    
“Well. You’re someone who strives for excellence in every aspect of your schooling, from what I hear from the other teachers. But while your paintings have all been wonderful looking, they’ve all been very similar. Perhaps you could try branching out a bit? Focusing on a different thing. Your architecture looks good too, perhaps some buildings, a city-line. Or even on people.”    
Weiss was quiet for several seconds before responding, “But I don’t know how to do those other things well. I can’t do them without it looking poor.”    
“But, that is the point of art. To get better. With subjects you’re unfamiliar with, you have to learn before you can produce quality. And it takes time, poor showings, and sometimes help.”    
“I don’t  _ want _ help.”   
Professor Aegis simply smiled, “I know. But sometimes it's needed. And there’s no shame in accepting it. While it’s good to learn to stand on your own, denying help in all its forms is a failing point as well.” She moved back to her desk as other students began to show up. She turned to Weiss once more, “Why not try to paint one of your teammates? I’m sure they’d be willing to pose for you, or for a photo reference. Might be a good chance to talk.”    
Weiss thought on it while staring at her canvas. What else would she paint? She began to paint over her canvas. Something she enjoyed, but also knew, besides the flowers in her closed off courtyard from home. She pulled up her scroll to look through her images. She finally came across one of her older sister, Winter. She was standing stoically at attention, and looked magnificent. “The perfect image of an heir,” she thought. And began to outline her sister, setting up the background of her sister’s room. It was an image she was familiar with, of the day Winter left home to join the Atlas Military. She became entirely fixated on the image of her sister, with thoughts still swirling through her head.    
  
Frustration. The image wasn’t coming out. It didn’t look like Winter, it looked like nothing. How could she fix this and have it ready by Saturday? Try again. Again. Again. Again. Every time. It wasn’t what she was used to, it frustrated her, she couldn’t have nothing to present, what wou-   
“Weiss?” Professor Aegis was by her again looking at her canvas. “You’re looking quite frustrated.”   
“I am. It’s not looking correct. It needs to.”

“Have you painted people much?”   
“Well. No. But I can’t present something sub-par Saturday.”    
“Weiss, you needn’t have something perfect for the capstone. It’s an opportunity to learn. And quality comes with practice, I’m sure you weren’t as skilled with your rapier as you are now, correct?”    
Weiss began to calm down while staring at her canvas, “No… I wasn’t. It took a lot of hard work to get where I am now.”    
Professor Aegis didn’t say anything, but smiled at her again before checking on the other students and their projects.    
Weiss continued to stare at the canvas for a minute, her mind almost blank. Until she picked up her brush and continued her painting, rather than painting over it once again.   
  
After the club, Weiss packed up her things and returned to her dorm. Entering, she found Ruby to be the only one there, and was setting up something on their wall while all of Weiss’ paintings from the last couple months were beside her. Ruby was setting up the painting she had done during the free paint in the second week of school. “Ruby, what are you doing?”   
“Oh hey, Weiss! I’m setting up your painting from when I went to the art club that one week, and then I’m gonna hang up mine next to yours! Isn’t that cute?”    
Weiss was perplexed, “Um. I suppose? But why do you have my other paintings out of the closet?”    
“Well. Yang and Blake were thinking of getting some decorations for their side of the room, and Yang said ours was a little plain. So I wanted to hang up all the stuff you’ve been working on.”   
“Why?”   
“Because you made them, Weiss! I wanna show off what my BFF can do for anyone who comes over.”    
Weiss remained with a confused expression, “But they’re all so similar, and not that amazing.”    
Ruby trotted over to grab Weiss’ hand and escort her over to the wall she had begun hanging paintings on, “They’re amazing cause you made them Weiss! Now, I know you’re real serious about like- Position of them and whatever, so I want you to help me so you won’t yell at me later.”   
“I do not yell! … But I will help you make sure they’re all level and look nice.” Weiss picked up one of her paintings, and smiled as Ruby ran to get tools.  
  
  
Saturday was cold, with a breeze gently blowing through the turning leaves in Beacon’s trees. After sparring class Yang decided to head back to her dorm, as she still a little over an hour before meeting with her club. On the way to her room she decided to check their mail. Weiss was typically very diligent about checking it, but it wouldn’t hurt for her to see if anything had shown up for her or Ruby. To her delight, there was a letter addressed to her. Yang returned to her room and sat on her bed as she opened it up and began reading, “Yang, we were all young once, but it was not particularly kind of you to abandon your sister on her first day at Beacon. A little bird told me she spent her first lunch break out back feeding the school chickens. No one has ever accused you of being too aware of the feelings of others. Try to cultivate that flaw. -Signed, Uncle Qrow.”    
Yang stared at the note for a moment before mumbling to herself, “Oh apples.”   
Yang ran off to the gym where Ruby was getting ready for her running mini tournament. She was shocked to see Yang rushing up to her as she was stretching, “Yang? What are you doing here? You aren’t usually at my club’s capstone.”   
Yang ran over and immediately grabbed Ruby in a tight hug, “Ruby, I’m so sorry! I abandoned my baby sister and you had to eat lunch with the chickens!”    
Ruby was attempting to speak, but couldn’t get much out other than wheezes, “Y-Yang. Please. My lungs…” Yang loosened her grip but still wouldn’t let go of Ruby, she was actually crying a bit, “I’m so sorry Ruby, I’ve been a bad big sister, I’ll try and be better!”    
Ruby was still catching her breath, “Yang, really it’s fine! The chickens were real nice!”    
“But there’s gotta be something I can do to help right? Something to make it alright?”    
“Yang, I’m fine, but how about you see how if the rest of our team needs help with anything?”   
She dropped Ruby back to the ground, “You’re right! Well, good luck baby sis!” Yang yelled as she ran back the way she came.    
  
Looking at her scroll, she still had about 20 minutes before the board game club met, and she rushed back to her dorm to check if anyone was there. She only found Weiss at her desk studying, and as cooly as she could, moved behind her. “Heeeeeey Weiss. Need any help with homework?”    
Weiss continued working for a few seconds before responding without looking up, “Do I ever?”   
“W-well no. I just thought that maybe I could help you with something possibly?” Without receiving a reply, Yang began to walk out of their dorm, before Weiss spoke up, “Yang?”   
She looked back excitedly, “Yes?”   
“Well… There’s one thing I could use help with-but if it’s too much trouble you don’t have to! Uhm. Sometime next week, could you be a model for me to paint? So I can get more practice with painting people.”    
Yang began waving her hand, flattered, “Oh you tease, Weiss, you haven’t even bought me dinner yet!” Weiss became flustered, “You could just say no you know!”   
“I can do it for you Weiss, thanks for letting me help, teammate!” And she sped out of the room to head to her board game club meeting.    
  
Arriving at the clubroom she was out of breath and sat in the room as others were already setting up their games. Yang was sitting alone as Jaune walked over to her, “Um, Yang right? Do you want to play a game together? This one is able to be played with two players.”    
“Uh, sure.”    
  
The two played without conversation for a few moments before Jaune spoke up, “So uhm. You been playing games for many years?”    
Yang didn’t look up from the board as she was thinking of her next move, “Yeah, since I was a kid, my dad would play with me. Sometimes Ruby’s mom too, we have a pretty decent collection at home. How about you?”   
Jaune made a quick move, not thinking very long on it, “Oh yeah, family board game nights and all that with my sisters and parents.”    
“How many sisters do you have?”   
“Oh uh… seven…”    
Yang giggled, “Boy, that seems like a mess for someone like you.” Jaune squinted before making his next move, “Alright, a bit rude… But I will admit that I do get a little homesick thinking about them.”    
Without looking up, Yang moved her piece, “What kind of stuff would you do with them?”    
He reacted to her move, “Well uh. Almost everything we did as a family. Camping trips, going fishing, that kind of stuff. Anything at home was usually done to me as the one brother. Being tormented, having whatever they made with food forced on me to try, them all braiding my hair.”   
Finally placing her main piece on Jaune’s side, Yang glowed confidently, “Well, if you need some help, I’d be happy to braid your hair for you. Might help you feel a little less homesick.”   
“Uhh. Well. I guess it couldn’t hurt.”    
  
Yang sat behind Jaune in JNPR’s room, carefully braiding his hair as they talked for a while, Yang listening to jaune talk about his sisters, and her talk about Ruby in turn. Eventually she finished braiding every bit of Jaune’s hair she could, “Aaaaaaaaaaaand done!”    
Jaune looked over her work in a mirror, “Wow. You know it wasn’t actually that bad, it did help me a bit, thanks, Yang.”    
Yang was heading out of JNPR’s room, “Full big sister treatment!”    
Walking down the hall she began thinking to herself, “Well that was two thirds of Team RWBY and then one member of JNPR. Where’s Blake? Surely she could use help with something. Maybe finding a new hobby? Or getting out to do something since she reads so much. Something exciting and less dry than her usual routine.” She looked up to see Blake coming up the stairs to their floor, and Yang bolted up to her, “Blake! Just who I wanted to see, do you ne-” She was interrupted by Blake putting a finger on Yang’s lips, “Ruby warned me you’re feeling guilty. You don’t need to help me with anything Yang.”    
“Please? That’s the magic word right? There’s gotta be something you could use help with?”    
Blake stared at her for a moment before reaching into her bag and pulled out a book. “How about you try reading this for me? It’s called ‘The Man with Two Souls’. It’s one I enjoy quite a bit, and should occupy you for a time. It’s only 71 pages.” Blake walked past Yang, who stood staring at the book. She opened it and read the first page, “Oh boy… This is very dry. It might take me a minute to finish this…” She closed the book and dejectedly walked back to their dorm to continue it.  
  


Blake walked with her team to their first class of the day Friday morning, Yang was once more in high spirits, talking about plans to see the Fall Festival decorations today after school with everyone. It would be a three day weekend with the start of the festival, Halloween, being on Monday, and Yang has some sort of scheme planned for that day. Blake still wasn’t sure what it was, but she had seen Yang making calls and writing out plans and invitations for something on the 31st. She’d be sure to ask her about it when it was just the two of them. Walking into their classroom for combat and grimm studies, she had a double take upon noticing Professor Port wasn’t behind the desk, it was Professor Aegis. Upon noticing them, she waved at Weiss who walked up to talk with her as Blake sat in her seat by Yang. Eventually the bell rang and Weiss ran to her seat. And Aegis smiled, then began her introductions, “Hello, everyone. You’re probably wondering why Professor Port isn’t here. He’s away on a mission for a while and I’ll be substituting until his return. I have something fun planned for the latter half of class, but for the start we’ll be going to page two hu-”    
“Oh so they’re just letting animals teach the students now huh?”    
Blake turned to glare at Cardin, who was leaning back in his seat with his feet on the desk. She looked back down to Aegis who’s smiling expression had turned cold as her eyes narrowed,   
“Cardin Winchester correct? I assume you have your combat gear near and accessible?”    
Without looking down at the professor, “Pfft. Yeah of course I do. Never know when I’ll be called on to trounce some nerd.”    
Professor Aegis continued her unmoving stance, “Then I suppose we’ll skip to the fun part first. If you’d be so kind as to become combat ready, and see how well the  _ animal _ does in a sparring match.”    
The class rose with “oohs” as Cardin scowled, and got up to equip his gear.    
As he was getting ready the professor addressed the class, “ I had intended for the sparring and observation portion to be the end of the class, but now is as good a time as any. The point of this sparring match will be for you all to observe and think. Be on the lookout for details on how we fight, details you think might be important if you were to fight me, and how the performance could be improved.” Blake couldn’t help but feel she was so much colder than her smiling self at the start of class. She was being incredibly blunt and straightforward.    
She then went behind her desk to equip an electronic pack to her back. It was clearly Atlesian tech, though Blake was unable to determine what it did. Was it her weapon?    
  
Cardin and Professor Aegis took separate positions at the front of the classroom, and Cardin took a combat stance. Aegis clicked something on her pack, and several blade-like antennae folded out of its sides. Then the corners of Blake’s vision became dimmed somehow, as the professor seemed to be growing brighter. Not immensely, but enough to notice the light around them was dimmer for some reason. The antennae began to glow and project hard-light into two large tower shields which the professor took one in each hand as the lights returned to normal, and she finally took her own combat stance with her left shield forward. “The match will be concluded when one of us pins the other, or runs out of aura. First to two wins, or whoever loses enough aura to lose a tournament setting loses overall.” And she began to step toward Cardin.    
Cardin smirked and ran to meet her, bringing his mace down into her shield. She didn’t flinch, nor move back, simply swung her right shield around to slam into Cardin who was sent flying back to the ground. Before he could get up, Professor Aegis was pointing the tip of one of her tower shields at him. “One, zero. Reset.” And she moved back to her same position as Cardin got up to do the same. She counted down from 3, then began the match. This time Aegis rushed him, dashing with her left shield out as Cardin swung at her, to no avail. The shield impacted into Cardin, sending him flying into the wall, the impact shattering his aura as he fell down. “Two, zero. The sparring match is over.” The professor turned from Cardin, her emerald eyes still icy and her body finally untensing as her shields dissipated. She took a deep breath and exhaled before addressing the class, “So, as Cardin returns to his seat, let’s begin the lesson. Does anyone have any observations? Details that seemed important to the encounter? Or information you didn’t know that would be something to look out for?”    
Weiss immediately raised her hand as Aegis gestured for her to speak, “Your equipment you fight with seems to be tied to your semblance in some way to create your hard-light shields. But we don’t know what you can make with them. Your tower shields could have just been what you decided to use for a defensive stance.”    
The professor smiled, “Very astute. You’re correct in that I use this pack as my weapon. It projects hard-light that I use my semblance to turn into my shields. And they are my primary weapons, but you’d also be correct in assuming I can make other things so long as I know the structure and make of them. Not just weapons, but objects with similar properties to their real forms. And does anyone have any observations about my semblance?”    
Blake raised her hand, “It has something to do with light? Both your ability to shape the hard-light, and before you created them, the room dimmed a little as you started to glow. Almost like you were taking the light into yourself.”    
Professor Aegis had a dumbfounded expression looking at Blake, “I’m surprised you noticed that. Most of even my third year students don’t. You must have very acute vision Miss Belladonna.” Blake looked a bit worried before the professor continued, “But yes, I have the ability to manipulate light as an energy. I draw it into myself, primarily my pack as a storage unit that can hold more than my body can, while also being able to project it out as hard-light. Very well done. And how about the actual flow of the fight? How could Cardin have improved his performance?”   
Pyrrha raised her hand, “Even with you leaving openings to your left for him to exploit. I don’t think Cardin had a chance of beating a seasoned huntress like yourself with each of your weapons of choice. Cardin charges at things like a bull, and your tower shields created a wall he can’t break through. Even if he attempted to flank you, you would likely be able to counter him.”    
The classroom was quiet looking at Pyrrha’s blunt judgement of his performance for a moment before Aegis spoke again, “Hm. Very to the point. Yes the likelihood of Cardin beating me would have been slim, you did thankfully notice I left open points that he could have flanked me, were he thinking to. And that is what I wanted you to notice. I’ll allow any more questions or observations before we return to the book.    
Blake continued staring at her, trying to determine what she meant about her eyesight. Why was it peculiar she noticed the light changing?    
  
After class, she waited for everyone to leave the classroom, Yang stopped at the door however, “Blake, we got five minutes, you coming?”    
“Yeah, I’ll be there. You guys go ahead of me.” And she walked up to Professor Aegis who was collecting her papers,    
“Mrs. Aegis?”    
She looked to Blake smiling, “Oh, just miss or professor is fine, I’m afraid I’m not married. Is there something you needed?”   
Blake shifted uncomfortably before answering, “I uhm. I actually had a question regarding you. How do you… How do you deal with the prejudice against you? For being a faunus in the open? People out in the street, or ones like Cardin. I mean. There are worse places than Vale for faunus, but there are better ones too.”   
Professor Aegis looked at her quizzically, “Well uh. Truth be told I’m here because I happened to be when opportunity was put before me. I just happened to be in Vale and Ozpin offered me a position after speaking with him a couple times. As for the less comfortable topic of prejudice? Yes, there’s people like Cardin, or the occasional stranger to berate you. But you fight them with your mere presence, Blake. I have a chance here to normalize people like us, and to attempt a spread of positive information, simply living as I am. And like with Cardin, while I don’t advocate simple violence to subdue them. We needn’t simply tolerate their ignorance either.” Students for the next period began entering the classroom, “But I imagine we’ll learn a lot more about each other when you’re one of my students in two years. For now you should catch up with the rest of your friends for next class, I’ll see you next week in Literature club.” She smiled and waved as Blake left to meet up with her team again.    
Her pace slowed as she began to think. “What did she mean by, ‘people like us’?” 

The streets of Vale are being decorated in orange, yellow, purple, and black for the Fall Festival. People setting up pumpkins and scarecrows, produce stands and canopies for the farmer’s market. Team RWBY was walking down the street looking at all the decorations, Yang pointing out all the aspects of what was being set up and explaining them to Blake as Weiss was staring at the banner smiling, “‘Fall Festival’. I’ve never been able to go to one, this is so exciting.”    
Ruby walked up beside her, “You’re smiling so much Weiss! It’s kinda weirding me out a bit.” Weiss turned to face Ruby with a pouting expression, “How could you say that? I do too smile. And how could I not? I was never able to go to one since Atlas doesn’t have much of a Fall season. But all this stuff, all the colors and food that’ll be around, and people. It’s breathtaking!”    
Yang leaned in, nudging Weiss, “Careful to not get too excited, Weiss. You might melt that icy heart of yours.”   
Weiss turned to Yang unamused, “Oh hush, you!”    
The team kept walking until they were at Vale’s dockyard. The smell of fish began to permeate the air, and another ship was docking. Ruby looked down one street to see a small dust shop with shattered glass around it and cordoned off with yellow police tape and two people Ruby presumed to be detectives of the Vale police force examining things. Ruby walked up to the tape and addressed a detective who had a beard, “What happened here?”   
Without looking up, he responded to her in a way indicating he’d answered this several times already, “Robbery. Second Dust shop to be smashed and looted this week alone.” He stops writing to look down and shake his head, “And with the three last week, this place is turning into a madhouse…”    
Yang approached Ruby from behind, “That’s terrible. I hope the people who run the place will be alright.”    
The detectives began talking to each other as the bearded one’s partner left the store, “They left all the money again.”   
Ruby’s head perked up hearing this as they continued   
“Again? Why take all that dust but no money? Who needs that much dust for anything?”   
“An army maybe?”    
“You thinking the White Fang maybe?” The second detective took off his sunglasses to rub the bridge of his nose, “I’m thinking we don’t get paid enough to speculate about terrorists.”    
Weiss, audibly, “Hmph. The White Fang. What a bunch of awful degenerates.”   
Blake turned to her, “Where is that coming from?”    
“What do you mean? I simply don’t care for people insane enough to resort to terrorism for their ends.”    
Blake crossed her arms getting frustrated, “The White Fang is hardly a bunch of insane people. They’re a collective of misguided Faunus.”   
“Misguided? They want to wipe Humanity off the planet!”   
“That’s not their aim! Just… Some of them. And even then it doesn’t explain why they would rob common dust shops in the middle of downtown Vale!”    
Ruby moved between them attempting to mediate, “Blake’s got a point. After all, the police never caught that Torchwick guy I fought a few months ago. He didn’t take the money from that shop either, claiming he had no need for it. It might have been him.”   
Weiss looked away from them leaning on one leg, “That still doesn’t change the fact that the White Fang are lowly criminals. All they know how to do is kill, steal, and lie.”   
Yang noticed Blake’s growing frustration, and joined in with her sister, “That’s not necessarily true…”   
  
Their attention was drawn away by a sailor on the ship that just docked, “Hey, stop that Faunus!” Team RWBY ran to the fence overlooking the docks as a blonde, monkey tailed Faunus ran down the length of the boat, leaping off the edge onto a light post as a sailor yelled after him, “You no-good stowaway!”   
He chuckled, turning to yell back, “A no-good stowaway would’ve been caught! I’m a great stowaway!”   
He’s interrupted by one of the detectives below the lampost, “Hey! Get down from there this instant!”    
The golden haired faunus smiles, “Nope!” And lunges to the next lamppost and onto the street, running past Team RWBY as he winks to an astonished Blake. They all stared as he got further away before Yang spoke up, “Should we uhm. See what he’s up to?” Ruby held her fist up, “Bonzai!” And began running after him as her team followed behind her. They kept running after him, turning down a corner as Ruby slams into someone and falls over. The rest of her team helps Ruby up as she comments, “Ugh. He got away.” Yang was staring below Ruby, “Uhh… Sis?” She points down to a red-haired girl below Ruby who was laying like a board on the ground, smiling up at them, “Sal-u-ta-tions!” The sudden dialogue startled Ruby, “Um...Hello.”    
Yang leaned over her, “Are you...okay?”   
Losing none of her pep, the girl responded, “I’m  **wonderful** ! Thank you for asking.”   
They all stared at her in bewilderment before Yang finally spoke up again, “Do you...wanna get up?”   
The girl seems to think about this for a moment, “Yes!” And immediately leaps back to her feet as team RWBY takes a step back, and the girl speaks up again, “My name is Penny Polendina!! It’s a pleasure to meet you!”   
Weiss nudged Ruby to the head of the pack, “Uh. Hi Penny. I’m Ruby.”   
“I’m Weiss.”   
“Blake.”   
“Are you sure my baby sis didn’t hit you in the head?” Blake hits her side, “Oh, I’m Yang.”   
Penny lights up again, “It’s a pleasure to meet you all!” Weiss comments, “You already said that.”   
Penny paused once more. “So I did!”   
“Well, sorry our teammate ran into you!” Weiss began shepherding them back the way they came. Ruby was waving goodbye to her, “Take care, friend!” At the phrase, Penny stopped and looked a bit shocked. 

Yang waited until she was confident they were out of ear shot, “Well she was… Peculiar.”   
Weiss began pacing around, “Now where on earth could that Faunus stowaway have gone?” She walked a few paces forward before bumping into Penny, who was now in front of her, looking past Weiss, “What did you call me?”   
Weiss was looking back and forth in shock as Yang began to be apologetic, “Oh, I’m really sorry! I didn’t mean to be offensive!”   
Penny wasn’t looking at Yang either, “no, not you.” She walked past all the other girls and looked down to Ruby, “You!”   
Ruby was looking like a rabbit with nowhere to run, “Me? I-I don’t know. I uhm. Uh…”   
“You called me ‘friend’! Am I really your friend?”   
Ruby looked up at her, “Uuuh…” She looked past Penny to her teammates who were all shaking their heads. But Ruby thought about her first day at Beacon, and what Jaune told her, “Y-yeah, Sure! Why not?”   
Penny became overjoyed and laughed, “Sen-sational! We can paint our nails, and try on clothes, and talk about cute boys!” Ruby leaned over to Weiss, “Is this what it was like when you met me?”   
Weiss made no motions, “No-she seems  _ far  _ more coordinated.” 

The girls were silent for a moment until Yang spoke up, “So… What are you doing in Vale?”   
“I’m here to fight in the tournament next year! I was sent a little early to become acclimated to my surroundings.” 

Weiss looked at her skeptically, “ _ You’re _ fighting in the tournament?”   
Penny saluted her, “I’m combat ready!” Weiss was looking her down, “Forgive me, but you hardly look the part.”    
Blake chimed in, “Says the girl wearing a frilly dress.” Weiss folded her arms in defiance, “It’s a combat skirt!” Ruby slides next to Weiss in solidarity, holding out her hand for a low-five. Weiss looks at it and then Ruby before reluctantly accepting the low-five. “By the way, Penny. Have you by chance seen that monkey-tailed uhm… Rapscallion?”   
“The who?”   
“Ugh, the criminal, stowaway, faunus from the boat?”    
“Why do you keep saying that?!” They turned to see a now fuming Blake. “Stop calling him a rapscallion! Stop calling him a degenerate! He’s a person!”   
“Oh, I’m sorry. Would you like me to stop referring to the street as the street? Or you as Blake?”   
“Stop it!”   
“Stop  _ what? _ He clearly broke the law. Give him time; he’ll likely join up with those other criminals in the White Fang!”   
Blake was fit to explode, clenching her fist and gritting her teeth, “You ignorant little brat!” And she begins to walk away as Weiss walked after her, offended, “How dare you talk to me like that!  _ I _ am your teammate!”    
Blake was refusing to look at her, “ _ You _ are a judgemental little girl.”   
“And what makes you say that?”   
Blake stopped to face Weiss again, “The mere fact you would sort a faunus boy you have no knowledge or relation to with a terrorist group solely based on his species makes you just as much of a scoundrel as you believe him to be!”   
They continued to jab back and forth as Yang and Ruby watched uncomfortably from the side. Yang leaned over to Ruby, “Um, I think we should probably…”    
Penny approached from behind them, cheery as ever, “Where are we going?”    
“Uhm. We’re gonna go home, Penny. It was nice meeting you, and hope we see each other again.” Yang said, smiling as best as she could.   
  
The girls were back in their dorm after the sun had set, Ruby and Yang continued to watch their teammates argue with each other. Their debates never let up for a moment the whole ride back to Beacon, and up to entering their dorm. Weiss was getting frustrated at this point, “I don’t understand why this is causing such a problem!”   
“That  _ is _ the problem!”   
Weiss began to get in her face, “You realize you’re defending a human hating organization, right? The White Fang are pure evil!”    
“There’s no such thing as pure evil! Why do you think they hate Humanity so much? It’s because of people like Cardin, people like  _ you _ , that force the White Fang to take such drastic measures!”    
Weiss’ eyes were wide as her whole body tensed, “People like  _ me? _ ”   
“You’re discriminatory!”   
“I’m a victim!” Weiss continued leering at Blake for several seconds before she took a deep breath, “You want to know why I despise the White Fang? Why I’m not quick to trust Faunus?” Her eyes lowered and she began to calm down, leaning against the bookshelf gazing out of their window, “It’s because they’ve been at war with my family for years. War. As in  _ actual _ bloodshed and large scale conflict. My grandfather’s company has had a target painted on it for as long as I’ve been able to think. Ever since I was a child, I’ve watched family friends disappear; board members executed in front of a camera that I had to see; an entire train full of Dust, stolen. By two people who slaughtered all but one crewman who was able to get away. Every day my father would come home, furious. And that didn’t make for a grand childhood experience.” Her shoulders were up, and her fists balled up on the shelf.    
Ruby walked up, putting her hands on Weiss’ shoulders, “Weiss, I-” She brushes Ruby off, “No!” Now turning to Blake, “You want to know why I despise the White Fang? It’s because they’re a bunch of liars, thieves, and murderers!”    
Blake exploded in turn, “Well maybe  **we** were just tired of being pushed into the dirt!”    
The room falls silent as all the girls look to Blake, Weiss with a shocked expression backing away from her. Blake looked to each of her teammates realizing what she said, “I...I…” As Yang began to reach out to comfort her, Blake dashed out the door, Ruby ran down the hall before she lost sight of her, calling out Blake’s name for her to come back. Yang noticed Weiss, stumbled into her bed in shock and sat her down. She didn’t respond and wouldn’t focus her eyes on anything.    
  
Blake was running through the campus towards the direction of Vale, stopping in the courtyard by a statue of a hunter and huntress fighting a Beowolf. She turned away from the statue remorsefully and began crying. She reached up for her bow on her head, pulling one of its strings to release the whole knot, finally revealing her cat ears.    
“I knew you’d look better without the bow.”    
Shocked, she turns to the statue to see the blonde faunus from the dock earlier in the day. She wiped away her tears and took a stance, “Did you follow me the whole way here?! Who are you?”   
He jumped down putting his hands up, “Woah woah! It’s alright, I’m not some kinda threat or stalker. My name’s Sun Wukong, I saw your argument with the one with the ponytail and was curious about why you were defending the Faunus so much, and lo and behold you’re like me! So what’s up? Why were you running out?”    
Blake sighed in exhaustion, “Because I  _ was _ a faunus in hiding… and I might have just revealed that I’m no longer in hiding…”    
“Oh… Uh. You need a place to crash? I’m staying at a friend’s place while he’s out of town, you can take the bed if you want it and I can be on the couch.”    
She was in no mood to argue with everything that happened, “Sure…” 

Entering the Vale apartment, it wasn’t the best of accomodations, but she didn’t have many options after running out. Sun immediately went to the fridge to pull out some sodas, “You want anything?” 

She sighed, “Water or tea please.”    
“Well uh. We got water at least. No Ice though.”    
Exasperated, she sat on the couch, “So what’s with you anyways? You seem to be around my age, but I know you don’t go to Beacon. Also do you actually have permission to be in here?”    
“Well, he told me where he keeps his spare keys, so I like to think that’s permission enough. I’m a student from Vacuo who’s supposed to be an exchange student for the Vytal Festival after the new year. But I decided to go a bit ahead of my team to scope it out, have fun, you know.”    
“That seems wildly irresponsible.”    
“Well I met you, so that’s a pretty good Start already.”    
He handed a glass of water to her, and from then on for the rest of the night, she didn’t speak. 

Ruby was the first to wake up, in a change of pace, looking over to see Blake’s bed was empty. She groaned getting up. She had barely slept after spending most of Saturday looking for Blake.   
As Yang and Weiss were getting dressed, she made her announcement, “Alright! Now that it’s Sunday and we have no classes, we’re gonna head down to Vale and spend all day looking for Blake!”    
Weiss was despondently brushing her hair, “I’m sure… she’ll come back when she’s ready…”    
“She’s been gone all weekend…”   
“Blake is a big girl. I’m sure she’s… fine.” Yang turned to Weiss, concerned, “Weiss, come one. She’s our teammate.” Weiss continued to not make eye contact, “I know but… What she said. We all heard it. That she was a part of the White Fang.”    
Yang finished tying her boot laces before standing up confidently, “Maybe she is, maybe she isn’t. No matter the case, she’s our friend, and we’re going to find her!” She left out the door as Ruby watched Weiss. She set her brush down, yet seemed unable or unwilling to move. Ruby moved beside her, extending her hand. Weiss looked at it with a beat expression, and accepted her help getting up as they left their dorm together.   
  
On the second floor balcony of a cafe, Blake sipped at a cup of tea across from Sun; he was holding his cup with his tail as he propped up his head with his free hands. They sit for a while not speaking, barely looking at each other as the noise of people’s lives hum from the street and the other customers chat about their days.    
After several moments of silence Blake finally set her cup down and spoke, “So you want to know more about me…” She looks up to him intently, expecting a response.   
Hey throws his arms up, “Finally, she speaks! A whole day and a half of small talk and suspicious looks!” She stares at him with her eyes narrowing. “Yeah! Like that!”   
She rolls her eyes before closing them for a few seconds. When she opened them her expression became sad, “Sun… I would assume you’re familiar with the White Fang?”   
“Of course! I don’t think there’s a Faunus on Remnant who hasn’t heard of them. Stupid, holier-than-thou creeps that use force to get what they want. Bunch of cracked pots if you ask me.”   
Blake continued sipping her tea as he spoke, before responding, “I was once a member of the White Fang.”   
At the statement, Sun choked on his drink, then promptly wiped his mouth and held up a hand in disbelief, “Wait a sec,  **you** were a member of the White Fang?”   
“That’s right. I was a member for the majority of my life. I guess you could say I was born into it…” she looks off the side of the balcony. Her expression mournful as she looked at nothing in particular, “Back then things were different. In the ashes of war, the White Fang was meant to be a symbol of peace and unity between Humans and Faunus. Making peace, showing we were equal, and defending each other from hate… Of course despite being promised equality, the Faunus were still subjected to discrimination and hate. Humanity still thought of us as lesser. And as a result, the White Fang rose up as the voice of our people. And I was there as a little girl.” She turned to look Sun directly in the eyes, her body mostly relaxed, but her voice clearly frustrated and her fingers curled, “I was in every rally I could. Bolstered every boycott. I did think we were making some kind of difference. But I was just a child. Then, five years ago, our leader stepped down under growing tension and opposition within our group. And a new leader took his place, with a new way of thinking.” 

Sun looked at her knowingly, “Sienna Kahn.”    
Blake continued, “Suddenly, our peaceful protests were being replaced with organized attacks. We were setting fire to shops that refused to serve us, stealing from them. Hijacking cargo from companies that abused Faunus labor. And the worst part of it was, it worked. We were being treated as equals. But not out of respect… out of fear.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again to look at Sun, her old expression returned. “So, I left. I decided I no longer wanted to use my skills to aid in their violence, and instead, I would become a Huntress. To better the world. And so here I am: a criminal hiding in plain view, all with the help of a little black bow.”

Sun looked serious, processing all the information he had just received, “So… Have you told your friends any of this?”    
Blake simply looked away in shame without responding.   
  
On the streets of downtown Vale, Ruby and Yang were calling out for Blake as Weiss trailed slightly behind them. Ruby shouted into an alley, “Blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaake! Where aaaaaare youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu?!”    
Yang shouted for her in no direction in particular, “Blake!”    
Ruby ran up to Weiss, trying to shake her into motivation, “Weiiiiiss! You’re not helping us!” Weiss was now getting frustrated, “Do you honestly believe  _ my _ yelling will help you two in any way?”   
“Weiss you’re not even trying!”    
She looked away stubbornly, “Why should I, when she clearly didn’t try with us.” Yang came up to their huddle, “Weiss, we should hear her side of the story before jumping to any conclusions.”    
They began walking again as Weiss crossed her arms, “If she wanted to tell us, she would have done so by now… I would think you’d realize that by now.”   
“And I think Weiss’ hair looks  _ wonderful _ today!” 

The girls all turned in astonishment to see Penny walking behind Weiss. Ruby is the first to shout in alarm, “Penny! Where did you come from!?”   
Penny ignored the question, “Hey guys! What are you all up to? You seem to be missing one.”    
Yang stepped forward, “We’re looking for our friend Blake.”   
Penny stiffly nodded her head knowingly, “Ohhhhhh, you mean the Faunus girl from yesterday that you’re missing.”   
The girls stare at her in alarm, Ruby again taking the lead, “Wait. How did you know that?”   
Penny pursed her lips, like she’d been asked what color the sky was, “Uhm, the cat ears?” She points to her own head.    
Yang chuckled, “What cat ears, Penny? She wears a… booooooohhh…”    
They all now sit in stunned silence as Penny rocks on her heels. After a moment she breaks the quiet, “So, where is she?”    
Ruby looked down sadly, “we don’t know. She’s been missing since Friday.”    
Penny gasped in alarm, “That’s terrible!” She moved close and put her arm around Ruby, “Well, don’t you worry Ruby, my friend! I won’t rest until we find your teammate!” Ruby forced a smile as she wrenched herself from Penny’s unusually strong grasp, “Uh, that’s awfully nice of you, Penny. But we’re okay! Really! Right, guys?”    
She turns to see that Weiss and Yang have left her with the strange red-head.    
Ruby sighed and began walking as Penny dutifully followed beside her, “So, is Blake your friend?”   
Again she sighed, “Yes, Penny.”    
“But you’re mad at her?”   
“I’m not. I think Weiss might be.”   
“Is she friends with Blake?”   
“That’s… Something I’m not sure of at the moment.”   
Penny held her chin thoughtfully, “But why?”   
Ruby shuts her eyes and sighs again, “Well, you see… Blake might not be who we thought she was…”    
Penny gasps in alarm, “Is she some sort of shapeshifter?”   
“No! No, Penny she’s…” She stops and looks to Penny, “I don’t know what she is. She didn’t really talk to us before she ran away.”   
“Hmm. I don’t have a lot of friends. But if I did, I would want them to talk to me about things.” Ruby looks down sadly, “Me too…”

The day began to darken, early as it did in Fall, as Yang left a shop with Weiss, waving to the people inside, “Thanks anyways!” As she shut the door, she sighed dejectedly, “This is hopeless.” She looked over to Weiss who was staring at the ground, “You really don’t care if we find her, do you?”   
Weiss began to walk down the street, “Don’t be stupid; of course I do. It’s just… What will she say when we find her? What will she say to me?” Yang begins to respond before deciding to let her continue, “Am I wrong to feel upset she kept it from us? From me? … Maybe if I had kept my cool. Maybe if I had spoken to her more, tried to open up to her more… Maybe she would have opened up with us more.” Yang kept quiet for a moment thinking. Finally she put her hand on Weiss’ shoulder to stop her. “Then do that.”   
“Huh?”   
Weiss looked into Yang’s eyes, they were so bright staring into her, “If you think you did wrong, then apologize. If you wanted to do better, then do it when we find her. Maybe what you said is what you really think. Maybe it’s what someone else has said for you. But it’s up to you to make, and keep your friendships, Weiss.”    
Weiss continued staring into Yang’s harsh gaze, she didn’t notice a tear streaming down her face. Noticing it, Yang backed up, looking away from her for a moment apologetically, “Sorry! I didn’t think my eyes would melt the Ice Queen.”    
Weiss quickly wiped it away before laughing softly, “You’re right. I’m me. Nobody else, and I can make myself whatever I want.”    
  
Blake and Sun walked through a side street as the light began to fade, and the air grew colder. Sun stopped to lean against a wall, “So, what’s the plan now?”   
Blake leaned beside him, looking deep in thought, “I still don’t quite believe the White Fang are behind these robberies. They’ve never needed that much Dust before, and would usually rob distributors rather than shops.”   
Sun moved off the wall excitedly with a thought, “What if they did? I mean… The only way to prove they didn’t do it, is to go where they would be if they were doing it, and not find them there! Right?”   
“Well. Yes, the only thing is, I have no idea where that would be.”   
He stood confidently holding his hips, “Well, while I was on the ship, I heard from some of the workers they’re offloading a huge shipment of Dust from Atlas.”   
Blake looked up, her eyes focused, “How huge?”   
“Huge! Big Schnee Company freighter.”   
“And you’re certain?”   
“Oh yeah!”   
  
The sun had set and a layer of fog had crept into the dock, as Blake laid on top of a shipping crate overlooking the Schnee branded Dust containers. Sun drops in beside her, “Did I miss anything?”

“Not really. They’ve offloaded the crates, now they’re just sitting there.”    
“Cool.” He drops off an assortment of fruit by her, “I stole you some food by the way.”   
She looked at him questioningly, “Do you always break the law without giving a second thought?”   
“Hey, weren’t you in a cult or something” She glares at him, “Okay, too soon!”   
As the silence settles between them again, the wind begins to blow around them as they look up to see a Bullhead VTOL land in a clear spot amidst the containers. It extends a ramp down as several black-hooded individuals stepped out, donning metallic, fanged masks.    
Blake quietly lamented, “Oh no…”   
“Is that them?”    
Blake attempted to see clearer as one of the men turned his back to them, revealing the bloody wolf symbol of the new White Fang, “yes… It’s them.”   
The White Fang members began motioning to one of the crates, “All right, grab the tow cables!”   
Blake continued to stare in silence. Sun shook her shoulder gently, “You really didn’t think they were behind it, did you?”   
She stared at the scene sadly, “No… I think deep down I knew. I just didn’t want to be right.” Their attention is suddenly caught by a new voice, “Hey! What’s the holdup?! It’s just attaching a cable, not dissecting a corpse!” The White Fang soldiers look up the ramp to see Roman Torchwick walking down, followed by a small woman; half his size, with pink and brown, curly, hair, and twirling an umbrella. “We’re not exactly the most inconspicuous bunch of thieves at the moment, so could the menagerie at my service, please pick up the pace?”   
Blake continued to look down in shock, “This isn’t right. The White Fang would never work with a human. Especially not one like that.” She stands up, pulling out the Blade portion of her weapon, and leaping down and towards the scene as Sun calls after her in alarm, “Hey, what are you doing?!”    
Blake wasted no time jumping from crate to crate, getting closer, before finally leaping down behind Roman and holding her blade to his neck as the woman and all the white fang members point their weapons at her, Roman comments, “What the- Oh for f-”   
“Nobody move!”    
Roman, losing none of his pep, “Woah! Take it easy there, little lady.”    
Blake takes off her bow to reveal her cat ears, “Brothers of the White Fang! Why are you aiding this scum?”    
The soldiers lower their weapons, looking to each other, unsure of what to do in the moment as Roman begins to laugh, “Oh, kid. Didn’t you get the memo?”   
Blake begins getting frustrated, “What are you talking about?”   
“White Fang and I are going in on a joint business venture together!”    
Holding the blade closer to his throat, “Tell me what it is or I’ll put an end to your little operation.”   
Suddenly the air whips up around them as two more VTOL’s hover above them as both her and Roman look up, “I wouldn’t exactly call it a  _ little _ operation…”    
Two more VTOL’s show up above the dock to begin attempting their Dust extraction, and distracted by the display, Blake looks in horror, not noticing Roman point his cane backwards at her feet, and firing.    
Near the dock, Penny and Ruby hear the explosion, and begin running in its direction.   
  
Blake was on the ground, shaking her head, dazed, but mostly unhurt. She quickly has to roll out of the way of Roman’s continued assault, firing flaming missiles, and destroying anything left where she was, as Blake uses her semblance over and over in quick succession, leaving after images that get blown apart as she continues running. Quickly she dives behind another set of containers as Roman casually strolls towards them, “Here, kitty, kitty, kitty.” His taunt taunt interrupted by an apple bonking against his head from above as he looks up to see Sun, plummeting down towards him, “You leave her alone!” As Sun impacted with Roman, he shattered and dissipated like glass, and standing in front of him was the small girl leaning on her umbrella and the four White Fang members who began to approach him as she didn’t move.   
Sun pulled out a collapsible, red staff reading himself to fight. At this the White Fang soldiers began to charge him. The first three approached as one, but upon entering the range of his staff, Sun quickly brought the edge of his weapon down upon the head of one, cracking his mask as he fell to the ground unconscious. At this the other two attacked as one; Sun in response dropped to the ground, kicking out the legs of one and swinging his staff into the soldier’s back, and continuing to spin, thwacking the third soldier in his neck on the back swing. The last soldier raised his firearm to end Sun from a distance, but in a second he hurled his staff like a javelin at the soldier’s face, flooring him. Looking up, Sun noticed the girl hadn’t moved, but was actually softly applauding him with a smug grin, as she waited for him to get his weapon back.   
  
Roman stalked around several of the shipping containers, “Come on, sweetheart. I don’t really care for hide and seek as much as my friend, Neo back there, and would appreciate it if you just came out so I can end you quickly.” Blake blended into the shadows to the best of her ability, she wanted to be able to get the drop on him again if she could. Maybe if she got higher she cou-    
She was stopped by a sudden explosion in the alley across from her, he was firing at random to find her, she had to move now or get hit.    
She lunged out from her hiding spot as it erupted in flame. She ran off to get behind more shipping containers, Roman’s shots exploding at her heels as she ducked behind a container. “I am a fan of shooting ducks, but they tend to move a little more predictably, if you don’t mind!”    
His taunting was becoming annoying… She climbed up the containers she was beside, attempting to flatten herself as she reached the top, so as to not be seen. Blake crept closer to the edge as Roman was beginning to round the corner of where she had last been. Seizing her opportunity, she pounced down on him with her blade out, managing to slash at his side, only to realize his Aura had guarded it, but at least she had surprised him. She continued to slash at him as he backed away, deflecting them with his cane. Every time he was about to land a hit, Blake used her semblance to leave an afterimage and attempted to get around him again. He didn’t let up, no matter how many times she lunged over him, dashed around him, to find a weak spot, he seemed to always know where she’d end up. She broke off again to get back amongst the containers. To Roman’s dismay, “Ugh! Again with this?” He paused for a moment, as if waiting for her to come back out, before he began casually strolling back to the area where his VTOL was. She had to get him, he was alone right now, it was her best chance. And she lunged again at his back, only for Roman to point his cane from over his shoulder, firing at her. The explosion landed to her right as she jumped up to his left side to slash, he seemed to half-heartedly jab at her with his cane, only to hit an afterimage yet again, Blake was certain she had him now as she made a motion to slash his midsection, only to be met with the barrel of his cane, as Roman smirked and fired point blank at her.    
  
At the VTOL, Sun ran at Neo with his staff ready, bringing it down to her head, only for her to casually turn her entire body to the side, in one deft motion. He tried to swing, in the next motion she leaned forward, his staff harmlessly gliding over her. And before he could react, she stuck her heeled boot into his gut, knocking him back. She then opened her umbrella to twirl it behind her, seeming to wait for Sun to make the next move. He readied himself, “So what’s your deal huh? You with the creep in the hat?”    
Neo frowned as she began to walk towards Sun now.    
“Oh okay, so that got your attention!” Sun separated his staff into his shotgun nunchucks, intending to get the edge on her before she could make a move, he began spinning them in her direction firing off flaming shells, one after the other until he was out of ammunition. In the smoke, to his frustration he saw the round shape of her umbrella, lifting it to reveal she was fine as Neo lunged at Sun, now with a blade sticking out of the tip of her weapon. She jabbed at him in a flurry as Sun kept backing away, finally he ducked down to kick out her legs. He succeeded in making her lose her footing, only for Neo to land with her hand, and placing herself back on the ground. Sun ran at her as soon as she touched the floor to attack again, as Neo jumped up above him, grabbing his shoulder and using it as leverage before she kicked him in the center of his back. He got up again to glare at her, again, just nonchalantly staring him down with her smile.   
  
  
Ruby and Penny reached the shipping container storage, drawn by the sound of machines and combat. Ruby peaked around a container to see three White Fang soldiers attaching two cables from a nearby Bullhead. Penny quietly behind her, “Ruby, who are these people?”    
“I don’t know Penny, but it looks like they’re trying to steal this stuff.” Ruby thought for a moment, and quickly sent a text to Yang of where she was and to hurry there, before closing her scroll and looking to Penny, and in the most serious tone she could muster, “Penny, just stay back okay? I’m gonna try and stop these guys and see what’s going on.” Penny began to raise her finger to respond, but before she could Ruby disappeared in a poof of rose petals.    
She wasted no time, appearing above the lead soldier, bringing Crescent Rose in its rifle form down on his head as he fell to the ground. The two other soldiers quickly turn and raise their weapons, firing as Ruby ducks behind the Bullhead. She began racking her brain, “Think Ruby, think! How can we subdue these guys without maiming them?” She quickly remembered she had different types of Dust ammo. Rummaging through one of her ammo bags on her hip, she pulled out the ice ammo, loading into Crescent Rose, and in another puff of petals, landed atop the Bullhead, and fired her shots at the soldiers hands and feet, freezing them in an instant. They began to call for help as Penny calmly walked behind them, bringing her hands down on their heads to knock them out. Ruby watched stunned, “Penny? How strong are you?”    
“Oh, I’m very strong! As I said, I’m here for the Vytal Festival. Specifically for the Tournament!”   
Their attention was drawn by three more soldiers running towards them.   
Penny looked to Ruby again, “I don’t really understand, are these people also not your friends?”   
Ruby continued to stare at Penny stunned, “Uhm. No Penny. They’re not.”    
“Understood!” As soon as she finished, she dashed towards the three White Fang soldiers, delivering a gut punch to each one as they crumpled on the floor. Ruby ran up to meet her, “Geez, you weren’t kidding about be-” She was interrupted by another blast, as she turns to see Blake being sent flying by another VTOL, and Roman approaching her with his cane pointed to her. Ruby panicked, unsure what to do, so she simply raised her weapon, and yelled, “Hey!” Firing a shot that whizzed past Roman, exploding behind him in an icy patch. His eyes focused on Ruby as a crooked smile formed on his face, “Well, hello, Little Red! Funny running into you here!” He began to walk in Ruby’s direction, “It’s been ages, I’m dying to see what huntress saves you this time?”    
Ruby loaded her flame ammunition, and shouted, “ME!” As she fired several shots at Roman, who clumsily had to dodge them as he returned fire. They both fired an assortment of rounds landing all around the other, both determined to be the one to knock down the other. As Ruby’s clip emptied, she took out her next clip to reload as Penny approached her, “Ruby, who is that man? He looks different from the others.” Ruby flinched, and turned to Penny with fear, “Penny, you can’t be here, get ba-!” Ruby was hit directly by one of Roman’s explosions and sent flying back. He laughed in the distance as Penny turned to him with a wicked glare. She began to move in his direction as Ruby sat up, “Penny, wait! Stop!”    
Penny pauses before looking back at Ruby and smiling reassuringly, “Don’t worry, Ruby. I’m combat ready!”   
  
Penny’s backpack mechanically opens, and from it floated out a single sword with glowing green markings, that split into several blades hovering over Penny as several more White Fang soldiers ran at her. She quickly knocked over two of them, before stabbing her swords into the clothes of one and sending him flying over a container. Roman snarled and began to fire more shots in their direction as Penny’s blades spun in front of her, creating a barrier blocking the attacks, before they settled again behind her.    
Three more Bullheads come from the skies and begin opening fire on her, Penny quickly lunges back to be next to Ruby, forming her blades once more into a barrier until the bullets stopped. As the VTOL’s came around for another run, she motioned her floating blades in front of her, their bladed tips folding inward as they spun together. Green lightning began to crackle from them as they spun faster and faster, forming a glowing green orb in the center of them. Penny then extended her hands and opened her palms, and the green lightning released as a large beam, cutting through the bullheads and sending them crashing to the ground in fiery wrecks as a stunned Roman watched in shock. He quickly snaps himself out of it and motions to Neo as they both run into their Bullhead. Neo quickly runs to the cockpit to take off as Roman watches from the ramp, commenting, “These kids just keep getting  _ weirder _ …” The jets fire up as the Bullhead quickly retreats from the battle.    
As the sound of the VTOL fades, the sounds of battle fade as well and the docks return to silence. Penny’s blades return to her pack as she calmly walks over to Ruby still smiling, “I told you Ruby. I’m combat ready.” Ruby was dumbstruck, before she just started laughing, “You sure are Penny! I can see that now.”    
  
A while later, Ruby, Blake, Sun, and Penny were sitting on boxes in silence as police patrolled the scene. The paramedics had just finished checking Blake as Weiss and Yang approached them. Noticing them, Ruby jumped up to stand between them and Blake, speaking in a flash “Look Weiss! It’s not what you think, Blake explained everything. See, she doesn’t actually need the bow for anything, she has kitty ears, and they’re actually kind of cute…” Weiss ignores Ruby as she approaches Blake. Blake stands up to meet her, remaining calm, “Weiss, I want you to know I’m no longer associated with the White Fang. Back when I was the-”    
“Stop! Do you have any idea how long we’ve been searching for you? The whole weekend. All of yesterday, and all of today… Which means I’ve had a while to think about this. And some counseling from  _ our _ friends.” Weiss looks over to Yang who was smiling at them sympathetically, “And with all that, I’ve decided… I don’t care.”    
Blake looked at her surprised, “You don’t care?”   
“You said you’re not one of them anymore, right?”   
“No, I-I haven’t been since I was younger-”   
“Nope! I don’t want to hear it. All I want to know is that the next time something as big as this comes up. You come to your teammates-... Your friends. I’m sorry Blake. I’ll do better to be your friend.”    
Blake had a tear in her eye, as she quickly wiped it away, “Of course.”    
The pleasant moment became interrupted as Ruby shouted, “Yeah! Team RWBY is back together!” Weiss chuckled before looking over to Sun, pointing at him, and half sarcastically, “I’m still not quite sure how I feel about you!” Sun laughed nervously at her jab as Ruby began to look round. “Hey, guys? Where did… Where did Penny go?”    
  
Penny sat in the backseat of a white car leaving the docks. Looking forlorn at Ruby as they drove away. The driver began to speak to her, “You should have known better than to go running around the city on your own.”    
She lowered her head sadly, “I know, sir…”   
“Penny, your time will come. For now we have to be careful.”    
  
In his office at the top of Beacon Tower, Ozpin sat at his desk watching a video of Ruby at the docks on his scroll, as news sources were already covering the foiled heist in detail. His scroll buzzes as he receives a message from “Qrow”. Ozpin sighs as he opens the message, its only contents being, “Queen has Pawns.”    
“Hmmm.”    
He stands up to look out of the tower, down at the soft lights of Vale. The nearly full moon bathing everything in a clear light.    
  
Roman walked into a large warehouse, walking over to a planning table placing the one case he had managed to take out. He turned on a lamp and sighed exhaustingly.    
“How very disappointing, Roman.” He jumped at the woman’s voice, turning with his cane pointed up. He lowers it chuckling, “Whoa! Hehe… I wasn’t expecting to see you so soon…”    
A woman with glowing, flame like streaks of color on her red dress approaches Roman. She had smoldering, yellow eyes, and long curled, black hair. “We were expecting…  _ more _ from you tonight.”    
Roman laughed forcefully before getting serious again, “Hey! You were the ones who handed me those stupid mutts from the White Fang.”    
She chuckled darkly, “And you will continue to work with them. We have big plans for this year Roman. All we need from you is… a little cooperation.”  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who's been reading or sharing the fic. I'm having a ton of fun with it, especially with the additions of doing small illustrations. Stay safe if you can in this crazy world.  
> If you want to hear or see more from me in the meantime before next chapter, feel free to check out my twitter or tumblr. I don't really do updates on the fic per say, but I do post my other art there.  
> https://twitter.com/Char_LottieXBee  
> https://char-lottiexbee.tumblr.com/


	6. Volume 1.5 Chapter 6 When Fall Falls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now is when the actual fanfiction starts.   
> My attempting to fill in space and develop character's further, and trying desperately to characterize as well as I can, but then I'm not a writer and whatnot.   
> We'll be in this weird in between volume limbo for a little bit.

Blake sat in Professor Ozpin’s office, gazing out of the windows that spanned an entire half of his office, the ticking of the large gears that controlled the clock at the top of Beacon’s tower, grinding behind her thoughts.  
Images and words from the night before, of the White Fang working with a criminal to steal from the dock.   
Roman’s words of their cooperation stamped behind her eyelids.   
Ozpin broke the silence, “Well that was quite an eventful evening.”   
Blake made a half-hearted noise of agreement.   
“I’m sure that after a night of thwarting attempted robbery, you probably just want to go home and relax. But, I was hoping that maybe we could have a chance to talk.”

She looked over to him, he was sitting calmly and relaxed in his chair, “Of course. You already called me to your office after all.”  
He smiled reassuringly, “Wonderful. As you know, in order to enroll at my academy, students must first pass a rigorous entrance exam. Most applicants spend years or preparation training at one of the many combat schools around the world.”   
He pauses for a couple of seconds, “You are one of the few that did not. And you passed the exam with flying colors.”  
Blake’s face remained as stone as she kept her arms in her lap, “I was raised outside the kingdoms. If you can’t fight, you can’t survive.”  
Ozpin eyed her studiously, “Well you most certainly survived, Blake. I admire the drive you show in your studies. And I am proud to run a school that accepts individuals from all walks of life. Rich, poor, Human... “ He looks down at his mug and takes a sip. Then looks back up to Blake, “Faunus…” 

Her eyes narrowed as she hurled a glare at him.  
“Why do you wear that bow, Blake? Why hide who you are?”  
She let out a long sigh, easing her curled fingers, “You may be willing to accept the Faunus, Professor Ozpin, but your species isn’t.”  
Ozpin’s eyes remained fully locked on her, “True, but we are continuing to take strides to lessen the divide.”   
Blake leaned forward returning the gaze, “With all due respect, you need to start taking some larger strides. Until then, I’d rather avoid any unnecessary attention.” She leaned into her chair again, “I want people to see me for who I am, not what I am.”  
There was a hanging pause between the two of them for several seconds until Ozpin turned the conversation, “And what are you?”  
“I don’t understand what you’re asking.”  
“Blake. How did you know the White Fang would be at the shipyard last night?”  
Her eyes glanced away for half of a second, “I didn’t. I just happened to be at the right place at the right time.”   
She studied his expression, trying to see if he knew she was avoiding information.  
He continued, “You wouldn’t have been the first… But what happened tonight was not an isolated incident. I may be your headmaster, but I am also a Huntsman.”   
She became tense as his gaze turned intense, his brown eyes seeming to storm silently.  
“And it is my sworn duty to protect this world from the forces that conspire against it. Blake, are you sure there is nothing else you would like to tell me?”  
She stared at him for what felt like several moments, though was more likely a few seconds at most,  
“I’m sure.”   
At her words, his eyes calmed, and he leaned back into his chair, again smiling, “Very well. Thank you for your time, Ms. Belladonna.” He stood up to walk Blake to one of the three elevators at the front of the office office.  
As she gets on the elevator he speaks up again, now in a calm, reassuring tone, “If you ever need to talk to me, please, don’t hesitate to ask.”

Blake attempted to relax on the long ride down Beacon Tower, the look Ozpin gave her still proved to be haunting.   
The elevator dinged as she reached the ground floor at last, and she hurriedly stepped off it.   
She wanted to get back to her room and not think for just a moment or two.  
But it would prove unlikely she’d get back so soon as she ran into Professor Aegis who was entering the tower’s main doors as she was attempting to exit.

She had startled eyes seeing nearly opening the door into a student, “Oh! Blake! I’m so happy to see you’re back, I had heard you were missing from sparring class Saturday. Were you dealing with some business in the tower just now?”  
Blake sighed tiredly, “Y-yes ma’am. Professor Ozpin wanted to talk with me about my absence.”  
Aegis’ face became perturbed as her pose relaxed, “Oh yes… Looks like I’ll be having to have a discussion with him next. Something, something, don’t single out a student in class or some such.”  
Blake chuckled at her nonchalance as the professor continued, “Well, I’d best be going. Don’t want to be late for my scolding, and I don’t want to keep you here too long on Halloween, so have a good evening, Blake.” 

And with a smile, and the end of her words, the professor went on to one of the three elevators.  
Blake watched for a moment, not thinking of anything in particular, until she got in the elevator and was out of sight.   
“Halloween.” The name hung in her mind as she finally noticed the decorations hanging around her dorm building.   
It had been a long while since she’d done anything relating to the holiday, not since she lived with her parents. 

***

Ruby and Yang sat in their room quietly. Yang was working on something while playing her music, as Ruby sat on her bed, kicking her legs back and forth as she stared at the window.  
The music filled room didn’t do much to mask the clear silence between them.  
Yang got up from her desk and moved towards Ruby and Weiss’ bunk bed, and began to lightly punch at her kicking legs like a bag, “Hey sis, you’re usually more excited about today. You’re sixteen and in an actual huntsman academy now!”  
Ruby continued to sit in silence for several seconds before looking down at Yang and replying, “I know. I love Halloween, and my birthday and everything but… Roman wasn’t caught… again. And I have no idea what happened to Penny…”   
Yang smiled up at her sister, “She was fine after the fight, Rubes. And from what you said she did at the dock, I don’t think she’ll be in any trouble she can’t get out of. As for Roman… Well. For now let’s have faith in the police and actual licensed Huntsman.”   
Ruby simply grunted.   
Refusing to be defeated, Yang grabbed a hold of her sister’s legs, and pulled her off the bed and over her shoulder, as Ruby began protesting, “Hey! Let me brood! It’s my birthday and I’ll do what I want!”   
Yang just began to laugh as she spun her sister around a bit before sitting her on Weiss’ bed, “And you should do what you want. But I’ve known Ruby for a good many years, and I know she’d rather be in town having fun and getting candy for her birthday.”  
Ruby crossed her arms pouting as Yang continued, “Aaaaaand I already asked Dad to send your costume you were working on, and happen to have it in my closet right now for you to wear.”  
Ruby was a little astonished, “You did? Even I forgot to do that with school and everything…”  
Yang crossed her arms and stood confidently, “Mmhmm. Big sis remembers everything.”   
“So, would you go with me to Vale?”  
Yang’s confident expression deflated, “Ah! I actually am working on something for tonight… I will be able to see you tonight! I just can’t spend the day with you in town.”  
Ruby’s face began to fade back to its previous dejected state as Yang scrambled, “But! Ummmm. I did!... Uh, have an idea! That-”   
As Yang continued attempting to stall, Weiss opened the door to their room, entering.  
And Yang burst, “Weiss will go with you to town!”  
Ruby and Weiss in unison, “She will?”  
Before Weiss could voice her objections, Yang spirited her out into the hall, leaving a confused Ruby alone in the room.

Yang clasped her hands together pleadingly, “Please Weiss! I’ll do any favor you want, I just need you to do this!.”   
Weiss crossed her arms and leaned on one leg, “And what exactly could you do for an heiress, who’s top of the class, and can buy what she wants?”  
Yang stopped to think for a moment.   
“Okay, there isn’t much I can do that I wouldn’t already do as your friend and teammate. But I’m planning a party for Ruby for her birthday and I need her busy. And also well… The stuff last night and the weekend. Blake suddenly leaving, the whole situation at the docks, then Penny vanishing. It has her in a weird mood. I want her to have a good first birthday away from our home, you know?”  
Weiss didn’t speak, but her expression softened as Yang continued, “And besides, you said you had never been to a Fall Festival, especially never the one in Vale since this is your first year here too. It might be fun to see the event that kicks off the week.” 

In the light of day, Weiss’ poker face had been recovered as she could withstand an emotional onslaught now. She let the pause hang for several seconds before letting out a sigh, “Whatever. I’ll do it, but when I need something from you, you best believe I expect a result.”   
Yang embraced Weiss, “Oh thank you, Weiss! I knew I could count on you, even when you make deals befitting the damned!”   
“Are you calling me a devil?! What on earth do you all think of me?”   
Yang let go of her, and sheepishly replied, “Well uh. Not too nice of a person? Putting it politely.”   
Weiss scoffed, then went into their room, and from the other side Yang could hear her plainly, “Ruby! Get ready, you and I are going downtown to see the festival soon.”   
Yang breathed a heavy sigh of relief as she leaned against the wall.   
“Okay, and with Ruby gone for the day I can set up her party while she has a good time.” She thought to herself. 

She continued waiting in the hall until Weiss and her sister departed, then she immediately went inside and got to work.  
She pulled out a box of decorations she had prepared and hidden away in her closet.  
Turning on her radio, Yang began to set up her various streamers, flags, and other colorful items.   
She was hanging up a banner between the two bunk-beds as the door opened behind her.  
She turned with a start, and a frightful expression, until she noticed it was Blake, and she let out a sigh of relief, “Geez… I thought you were Ruby for a sec.”  
Blake looked around the room before seeming to respond to herself, “Oh. I suppose I should have put two and two together that you were planning her party.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“I saw you making out invitations and plans for today, and It had completely slipped my mind that Ruby also told me her birthday was on Halloween.”  
Yang smiled and sat on Blake’s bed for a break, “I honestly would have guessed you’d figure it out with that smart brain of yours.” Then Yang’s face turned to one of concern, “So… How did the meeting with Ozpin go?”   
Blake sat on the bed beside Yang, “He doesn’t seem to know everything about me. But he was still suspicious of the information I gave. But for now he seems to be letting me by.”   
She looked over to Yang who was smiling warmly at her,   
“That’s great! I mean you didn’t do any wrong. You were just with the wrong people for a while, but you were there to help stop them last night, so it’s only right nothing bad happened.” 

Blake paused for several seconds.   
“Maybe.”   
Yang tried to lean in front of her inquisitively, “What do you mean?”   
Blake avoided looking into her jeweled eyes, “Nothing. It’s not important right now. What else do you need for the party?”  
Yang’s face became pouty, “Hmph, fine.” She leaned back again, kicking her feet idly, “Just, you know. Please don’t hide yourself. I really like seeing you.”  
Blake looked over to her in surprise as Yang quickly got up, and cleared her throat, “Well! If you want to help with the party, I could use a hand finishing decorations then going out to get some stuff, if you’re well enough to come with me.”   
Blake was staring up at her still processing, “Uh, yeah. I’m fine enough to help you out.”

***

Ruby and Weiss sat in silence for the ride into Vale.   
As the two girls got off the shuttle, Ruby finally began to crack.  
She found the silence maddening, and ventured for dialogue, “So, Weiss! What sort of events do you want to see first? Since you haven’t been to one of these yet.”   
Weiss responded without missing a beat, “I don’t know what’s here. Why don’t you explain what there is or whatever?” She said as she walked without looking at Ruby.  
“Uh-right. Well, it’s Halloween, the first day of the event. So not everything is here. They have food, some carnival games, music, and some stores have special items they’re only selling today. So what would you like to see first?”   
Ruby tentatively attempted to keep pace with Weiss’ quick step.  
“Isn’t it your birthday? Why see what I want to do?”   
“W-well. You said you had never been able to see a Fall Festival. I’ve seen them a lot, and you’re my best friend and treasured teammate!”   
Weiss halted to eye Ruby, “And you’re going to continue with this narrative?”   
Ruby nodded her head.  
Weiss sighed, and relenting she spoke, “I suppose it would be interesting to see what sorts of food they have here in Vale.”  
Ruby cheered, and, to Weiss’ shock, immediately grabbed her hand and began leading her downtown, “That’s a great start! I’m pretty hungry and I know lots of really nice food stalls!” 

The first dish Ruby showed Weiss was peculiar in her eyes.   
A round ball of cooked batter, like a pancake. But with a savory sauce and scallions and ginger inside of it.   
Weiss simply stared at it for a while, marveling at the small thing that came with an equally appropriate, disposable tiny fork the size of a toothpick.   
“And this is...normal?”  
Ruby looked over to Weiss, her mouth still full from her own serving, “Of corphs!” She quickly swallowed her food in embarrassment, “You get this small thing of food, and eat it while looking around for other foods that look good to you!”   
“I don’t know if I would call these good looking.”   
Suddenly Ruby snagged one of Weiss’ snacks with her fork, “Well if you don’t want it, I can take care of it.”  
And she quickly ate it as Weiss began to protest, “I didn’t say I wouldn’t eat it! I just said it didn’t look that appealing.”   
She turned away and took her first bite.   
It was surprising to her, sweet, savory, creamy, crispy, fatty. Many different things all at once despite the treat’s small appearance.   
She had begun to think deeper on the thing before Ruby interrupted her thoughts, “Soooo? What did you think?”   
Weiss turned, and with a reluctant voice, yet not making eye contact with Ruby, “It was… Pleasant. I will admit I didn’t anticipate street food to be so complex and enjoyable.”   
Ruby snickered.  
“What? You asked what I thought!”   
Continuing to stifle her laughter, “You coulda just said, ‘It was good.’”  
“Well, far be it from me to speak proper even in a pedestrian situation. But fine, lead on to what you want to do.”   
Ruby was taken aback for a second before responding, “What do you mean? There’s still so much food left to try! I want you to see everything since this is your first festival, and a lot of the events start in the evening.”   
And at that word Ruby led Weiss away again, to food stall after food stall.   
Weiss felt almost dizzy by the end of their roulette, and relieved when the sun began to set and Ruby left to find a bathroom to change into her costume. 

And so Weiss was left with her thoughts for many moments.  
She listened to the sounds of music being played blocks away, people enjoying themselves, the sounds of the day seeming to never wane as the night crept past its start.  
She also became aware that as she waited, there would be merry makers who would watch her.  
Eyeing her as though she were a peculiar sight in this setting.   
Perhaps she was, she thought.   
An heiress, a Schnee, away from her home, her kingdom, company, and family.   
She smiled to herself thinking of what sort of face her father would make were he to see her traipsing around town with Ruby. Were it that she cared what he thought that is.  
She was going to be her own person without him, and what she did didn’t concern him to her mind.  
She awoke from thoughts as her scroll began to buzz in her pocket. Checking it, she saw it was her father calling her once more.   
“Speak of the devil and whatnot.”  
Without a second thought she declined the call, as had been her habit the past month.   
To her dismay he was getting more persistent rather than less from her ignoring him.

Eventually Ruby did return, now in her costume, she looked like a giant plush beowulf, with her head sticking out of the mouth, wearing its top half like a hood.  
Weiss cocked her eyebrow, “You look ridiculous.”   
Her words ran over Ruby like water over a stone, “Oh pssshhh. That’s no way to talk to your bestie, Weiss. Besides, I made it myself, I think it looks pretty good by that standard.”   
Weiss by this point grew too weary pushing back against the best friend remarks,  
“It seems pretty hard to imagine you sitting still to do anything, let alone cloth work.”   
“Oh yeah! I mend my clothes when I need to, and I like to build models!”  
Weiss sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose as she waved for Ruby to continue leading on, and so she did. 

Weiss had heard of this part of Halloween, dressing up and going around asking for candy.   
What a peculiar habit of people.   
As she walked with Ruby from location to location, she waited at the curb as Ruby went up to the residences for her treats.   
Weiss began to feel more like a caretaker escorting their child around a neighborhood…  
It wasn’t as if she didn’t enjoy her time walking with Ruby and talking, but she felt like someone looking into a window, not inside.   
And when Ruby noticed her expression and said next year they could dress up together, Weiss simply responded in her usual fashion, “As if.”   
After a time, and many stops, Ruby was satiated once her bag was completely full of a wide variety of candies.   
Weiss simply wanted to return to her room and relax, but relented as Ruby insisted there was “one more spot” they just had to go.  
To her surprise, they ended up at the park Yang had taken them, what felt like ages ago.   
Though it had a different feel at night, dark, but not foreboding. It felt almost serene and comforting in the cool air, with its sparse street lights keeping the field partially lit until the quiet, late hours.  
Ruby this time walked forward on her own, not dragging Weiss with her.   
But Weiss followed just the same.   
At this point she was curious just as to why Ruby had brought her here.

Ruby sat on one of the swings, and Weiss followed suit on the swing next to her.   
She waited for a minute until Ruby finally spoke, “So uh, Weiss what kind of candy do you like?”   
Weiss blinked a couple times in process, before she started laughing heartily.  
“I don’t know why, but I thought you brought me here for some kind of heart to heart or something. Silly me for wondering.”   
She looked over to Ruby who’s face hadn’t waivered.  
“This is a serious thing! You didn’t get any candy and I want to fix that since you were with me all night.”  
“But I didn’t dress up.”   
“That doesn’t matter, you were there all the same.”   
She quieted for a moment, “It was here that you started asking me more about me and my life, like we were an actual team.”  
Weiss was looking up at the sky, but smirked, “I seem to remember it as the day your sister nearly killed me.”   
“Agh! Well. She does that sometimes… But I’ve just been thinking a lot since we got Blake back.”   
Weiss looked over and froze, seeing Ruby, now with a solemn and serious expression like she hadn’t seen before on her team’s leader. Her silver eyes shining as clouds revealed the moonlight onto her, as if it were meant for her and her only.  
“I don’t want our team to lose anyone. I don’t want to deal with a day when we’re all separated. And I want you to feel like a part of our team Weiss.”   
She didn’t respond for a moment, her mind processing the words just spoken.   
How could Ruby The Dolt, say these words to her.   
“Y-yeah. I guess if there’s any plain chocolate I’ll have a couple of those.” She finally responded, trying to look away.   
“Too much like her sister…” Weiss thought to herself.  
Ruby smiled and obliged.

***

Weiss was tired by the time her and Ruby got back to their dorm.  
As they came down the hall to their room, she lamented how energetic Ruby remained even unto their return home, and as she opened the door to their room, she and Ruby were met with an explosion of light, cheers, and confetti.

Ruby stood stunned for a moment as she looked around to see team JNPR holding a banner with her sister, along with Libra and Blake off to either side waving quietly.   
She ran into the room and jumped into Yang’s arms, “Oh thank you so much! Usually I’m the one to throw surprise parties!”  
Yang laughed before setting her down, “Nuh-uh. I throw surprise parties. You give people heart attacks.”  
Ruby scoffed, “It was only one time with dad! And he was fine after…”   
She admired the decorations for a moment before commenting again, “It’s amazing so many people showed up.” Turning to JNPR, “What about you guys? Didn’t you have any Halloween plans?”   
Jaune spoke first, confidently, “Well you see, we had planned to go to a big party, buuuuut we thought you could-”  
Nora and Pyrrha, both without looking, elbowed him.  
“Agh! Okay we hadn’t decided on anything then Yang invited us…”  
“Besides, it is always nice to spend holidays with friends, especially when one coincides with your birthday.” Pyrrha cheerfully added.  
Yang feigned whispers to Ruby, “Those two were easy, really it was Nora who I had to bribe with snacks and a portion of your cake.”   
“She’s lying! I was not hard to convince and did NOT need to be bribed!” Nora loudly objected. “But the promise of food did certainly help…”   
She talked with Pyrrha and Jaune for a while as the other attendants went about their business, Yang cut cake and got snacks out, Nora readily pursued her as Ren attempted to keep her from consuming it all, Weiss simply laid face down on her bed, and Blake began to read on her bed.   
Ruby then noticed that Libra stood leaning against her desk on their scroll, and she went over to talk to them.  
“Hey! So uh, you haven’t talked with anyone much?”   
Libra looked up, and chuckled, “Well no, but that’s to be expected. I know you, and even then only a little as of now. I was actually really surprised when your sister found me somehow, and invited me to come over. I don’t really know any first years besides you.”   
“Hmm… But what about Pyrrha and Nora? They’re in the Fitness Club too.”   
“Well, yes, Ruby. I know OF them, but I don’t know them anything beyond the information given from the club.”   
Ruby pondered their words for a moment before holding their hand and pulling them out from the side of the room.   
She wasn’t so sure of why she was becoming bolder lately, but it was a pleasant feeling indeed.

She led Libra confidently to Pyrrha and Nora, who were talking as they ate.  
“Pyrrha, Nora, you know Libra right? The assistant for Professor Archibald?”   
“Ofh yeafph!” Nora said with her mouth full.  
“Yes we’ve spoken to you on occasion for the club, but I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure of meeting proper.”   
Pyrrha extended her hand, “Hello, I’m Pyrrha Nikos, I hope we’ll be friends!”   
Libra hesitated, not expecting this sort of response.  
Then they took Pyrrha’s hand and shook it, “Y-yeah. It’s good I’m getting to know you now, rather than the end of the year. We’ll at least have the rest of this school year to talk.”   
Ruby looked puzzled at them, “Why? What’s happening with you next year?”  
“Third and fourth year students spend most of their schooling in the field. Taking missions, and living slightly outside of the kingdom, usually in a close village.” Pyrrha explained suddenly.  
Libra folded their arms as they added on, “Yeah. Third years spend about two thirds of their time out and on missions, and it becomes even more in your fourth year. I’m a second year, so this is sort of my last year at Beacon.” 

Ruby’s face shadowed for a second, then she perked back up again, “So then that just means we’ll have to make the most of the time you are here!”   
She put her arm around Libra and began to lead them through the room, “We’ll start with actually introducing you to everyone here!”   
“Please don’t... “ They murmured.  
One by one she introduced Libra to her team, who reacted with varying levels of excitement, and then Jaune and Ren.   
They all continued to eat and converse into the night, to Weiss’ further dismay, and after several hours she finally forced everyone out to go to bed.

***

“Morning… Wednesday morning. The worst of mornings.” Yang thought to herself as she woke up and stared at the ceiling.   
School was tough, but school after a weekend of searching for her partner, planning and executing a party for her little sister was especially rough on her.   
Her mind swirled with the thoughts of homework still needing to be done by the end of the week, combat practice she knew they all had to crack down on, and then there was still Blake’s book she leant her that she had to read.   
She took a deep breath, sat up and got out of bed.   
“One step at a time, Xiao Long.”   
Her own phrasing brought her mind to her dad. How he’d chastise her for running head first, going as fast as she can ahead, and consequently serving as the candle that burned twice as bright.   
She smiled as she got ready for school, wondering how he was doing with both her and Ruby gone. 

Her day progressed as most of them did, yet it felt like a week in a few hours to her.   
More work needed to be done, the announcement that Port would be starting the hands on portion of weapon maintenance now that sparring practice was picking up in intensity.   
Oobleck was beginning a new chapter this week, and Professor Peach had to be talked down from having every student raise a sapling at the end of winter.   
“One step at a time.”  
It’s not as if she was unable to do the work, it just took far more time than she wanted it to.   
More time on school work meant less time going out, enjoying herself, being a teenager. 

That evening as she sat, haggard and drained, working on her homework and projects, she had a thought.   
A curiosity just on how the others were dealing with it.   
Weiss was long since finished, Ruby was puzzled and dozing off.   
But then she looked over to Blake.   
Her hands remained in her lap as she stared at her page, yet to Yang it didn’t even seem like she was looking at her desk, just… staring down.   
Blake’s eyes looked strained, bothered.   
Yang scooted her chair to be beside her, “Hey, what are you working on?”   
Blacked jumped, like she had just been woken up suddenly, “A-ah. I’m working on uhm.”   
She had to glance down to remember, “History.”   
“Do you need help with anything? You looked awfully stuck on it.”   
There was a flash of some unknown emotion in Blake’s eyes. Defense?   
Blake quickly attempted to settle herself back in her seat, and pull out her pencil to feign working again, her foot gently tapping the ground repeatedly.   
“Hey.”   
Blake didn’t jump this time, but she didn’t respond immediately.   
Her shoulders were tense, risen up about her neck, “Yeah?”  
“Why don’t we check out the festival tomorrow after school? There’s only two days left of it, and you haven’t been right?”  
Blake’s body didn’t change, it seemed almost willfully frozen, as someone attempting to not give any hints by body language.   
“I don’t know. I’m busy and have stuff that needs to get done. It just. It seems like a bad time you know?”  
Yang reached out her hand to put on Blake’s shoulder, “I know we have a lot to do, but that’s exactly why we should. We may be too busy next year too, and may not even be here the year after that. So why not try it while we know we can?” To her surprise, their shoulders eased back down, returning to their gentle down slope.  
“Maybe one day is fine.” 

***

Yang woke up that morning somehow invigorated.   
It seemed a complete contrast of her previous awakening, and her energy stayed all through the day.  
She managed to get work done before class, and while she may not have been fully listening to all of her lectures, she felt awake enough during them at least.   
As soon as her last class for the day ended, she rushed off to get changed into her casual clothes and wait for Blake.   
While she waited for Blake to get ready, Yang was extraordinarily excited. She hadn’t been this excited to go to the festival since Ruby’s first time there with her and their dad.

Their trip into town was mostly small talk that Blake didn’t participate much in.   
The same result was met as Yang attempted to talk with Blake about some of the past experiences at the festival.   
She didn’t know what to do, Blake was still clearly tense, and no amount of talking was going to get her to relax or open up.  
She wouldn’t be able to relax until Blake was able to also, but maybe she just needed a different approach. Something to focus her body movements on.   
The idea came to her suddenly, and she led Blake to where most of the carnival games were set up.   
And while the shining lights of the street beckoned for attention, she instead turned to see Blake’s reaction.   
Her eyes were wide, the lights of the signs making them seem incandescent at their mere existence, her mouth not agape, but still open.  
Yang slipped in her own mask as her cheeks became flushed, smiling at her.   
Before Blake could turn to see her, she snapped herself back to reality, “So! What do you think on first glance?”   
Blake continued to look around, her eyes darting as if absorbing every minute detail.  
“It’s… large. Quite bigger than what I had when I was a kid back home. Though we also had different kinds of seasons, Fall wasn’t really much of an event.”   
Blake moved forward into the maze of activities, and Yang for a moment simply watched her.  
The response she gave was the most actual discussion she’d had all night.  
And the way she walked was less stiff for now, granted there were other aspects of her walk Yang lingered on for a moment or two longer than proper before she hurried to catch up to Blake.

The first game that caught Blake’s eye was skee ball, as she approached it, Yang began her impersonation of a tour guide once more, “What y’see here is a game called ‘Skee Ball’. Goal is to roll the balls up the ramp, and into one of the goals for points.”   
Blake didn’t laugh, but she was at least grinning at the act.  
Yang cleared her throat, “Well, I went ahead and got a bunch of game tokens already, so we can play whatever. But first, since I don’t know if you’re familiar, I’ll actually show you how to play.”  
Yang inserted her tokens, and played up the theatrics of her playing a children’s game. Taking time to look as though she’s lining up, like a bowler aiming for a perfect strike, and finally she began rolling her balls.   
10, 10, 20, 20, 20, 40  
Blake watched the game silently, and after Yang’s score showed on the screen, “120” she looked over to Yang, “So the goal is just to roll the balls into the highest number goals?”  
“You got it!”   
Yang inserted two more tokens and then gestured for Blake to play.  
“But don’t be too upset if you don’t manage to get a great score.”   
As soon as her words ceased, Blake rolled her first, and it went right into the ‘40’ goal.   
“Ah! Okay, beginner’s luck, keep going.”   
She managed to get a chuckle out of Blake with that.  
And Yang found herself once more fixated on her. The way she moved her body felt so intentional and calculated, her Topaz eyes staring ahead at a goal.   
She might’ve remained in that trance-like state unless Blake turned, and pointed to her score smiling.  
40, 40, 100, 100, 10, 40  
“330”  
Yang’s jaw hung open, “I thought you said you had never done these things”  
“I did, but it’s not that hard to apply skills you’ve learned elsewhere.”   
Yang grumbled, but at least Blake wore a smile now. A gentle one, but earnest.   
She did have to be paid back for the embarrassment however.   
“Okay, well. Let’s try out some other games, I’m certain I can still beat you in a few.”

The rest of their time in the game section told a similar tale however.   
It didn’t seem to matter what game it was; air gun shooting, darts, hoop ball.   
At the conclusion of Yang’s tokens, and another win for Blake, she turned to her and half sarcastically, “How is it that being raised outside the kingdoms, seems to have made you uniquely suited to bullying your friend in carnival games?”   
Blake looked to the ground, “Oh, I’m sorry if that soured it for you, but I did have a good time.”   
Yang pressed with her drama, “I’m wounded! You tore me down like a forsaken tower!” And at that she twirled slightly and fell back into Blake, who caught her.   
Yang smiled again, and thought to herself that that was enough reward for her.   
She stood up straight once more, “So! Tea?”   
Blake looked up at the blue-gray, dimming, sky above them, her smile refusing to wane.  
“Yes, that seems a good enough way to finish a day.”

***

That night Blake laid awake in her bed, staring up at the bunk above her.   
Her mind sat in a somber silence, yet she couldn’t sleep. So instead she was up, trying to keep her silent mind for fear of intrusive thoughts returning.   
Her body sat as still as she could make it, with on hand at her side and one on her stomach.  
All she wanted was to hold onto the peace she acquired being with Yang for the afternoon, just for a bit longer. Perhaps if she thought of Yang she could stave off her worries a bit longer.   
It’s not as if it were difficult with her snoring above her, I mean she practically vibrated their bed with it.   
Yet she didn’t hate it. Somehow it was still a comforting sound, being right by her.  
She smiled up at the underside of Yang’s bed.  
Beside her.   
Hopefully it would stay that way. Her alongside Team RWBY at Beacon.  
A twitch.   
A thought of someone she wanted to forget.  
She moved her free hand over her chest.  
The White Fang…   
She was supposed to forget about the docks, about them working with Roman. About why they’d need so much dust.   
It hasn’t even been a week, why shouldn’t she still be concerned?  
“Leave it to the police.” She muttered under her breath  
They hadn’t caught Roman since Ruby’s encounter with him, and they certainly wouldn’t succeed now.   
She couldn’t investigate it all alone, but she wasn’t about to involve her friends in her business.   
It was her problem, her past, not theirs, they shouldn’t be dragged with her.  
Her hands gripped tightly at her night shirt as tension rippled through her body.  
And she heard Yang mutter something in her sleep, and at the moment, Blake took a deep breath. And with her exhale, her body smoothed back down into the mattress under her.   
She would do something.   
A message to Sienna perhaps? She was a subordinate of her father, but who was to say if she would talk to her. She may have even been the one who ordered them to work with Roman.  
But she had to know…  
She at once felt her eyes flutter as her hands drifted to her sides.  
She would start it. But… tomorrow… 

***  
(Chapter 6: 2nd Gig)

Far Aegis stood in the elevator for her hellaciously long ride to Ozpin’s office.   
Gods, why did the man have to have his office so high up the tower in the center of the school?   
To have to ride this rickety, steel coffin for more than she thought necessary, only to have a wagging of fingers, and lectures waiting at the top. 

As the elevator doors opened, she stepped out into Ozpin’s office.   
She despised the room.   
Needlessly large, in a terribly inconvenient location for a headmaster, windows comprising a good half of the walls, and the giant, clunking, gears that turned the clock tower right above them, with the clock’s face behind his desk. Gods, she could only imagine the hellish sounds in the office when the clock reached twelve, thank goodness that was two hours away still…   
And there at the head of it all, was Ozpin sitting at his desk, gesturing for her to sit in the seat in front of it.   
She obliged, and sat uncomfortably in the stiff, wooden chair.   
“Hello Professor Aegis, thank you for coming to speak with me. How are you finding yourself at Beacon lately? Is everything going well?”  
She was dumbstruck by the question, her mouth open and eyes focused on his.  
She had been ready for a lot of things coming here, but not him asking her how she was enjoying her stay.   
“It’s… Fine? I’ve been here for three years after all. Is that why you called me up here to speak with you?”  
Ozpin put on a sly smile, she could swear he was beginning a game of some sorts.  
“Why? Did you think I called you for some other matter?”  
Her mind began to grind like the gears above her…  
Was this a trap to get her to say what she thought she had done wrong? Like a parent catching a child in a lie?  
She was thinking too much, she wasn’t a child, and certainly wasn’t going to play one of the old man’s games, “I assumed I was called here because of the ‘incident’ with Cardin Winchester.”  
“No, I’m afraid that wasn’t the reason.”   
What was he playing at? She tried to study his expression as best as she could, something, some tell or hint, “I had thought you might think I was too hard on him because of the boy’s...views.” 

Ozpin took a lengthy sip of his coffee, nearly draining it before he looked back up to her, “You were taking larger strides. Rest assured Glynda will have a word with him, for now my topic is on you in particular.”  
She was in completely unknown waters now… She didn’t have the foggiest idea what he was talking about.  
“So what is it you wanted to talk about with me then?”  
Direct approach, hopefully that will take some wind out of his game though to her continued confusion and dismay, he continued smiling.  
“Have you interacted with the other teachers much?”  
“I-I don’t feel I understand.”   
Ozpin’s face remained completely unchanged, “You’ve been with us for three years now. Many of your students like you, and from what I understand you don’t have many issues working at Beacon. However you also haven’t interacted with the rest of the faculty much at all, indeed several of them are only aware of you as a teacher and not much beyond that.”  
She said nothing, watching and waiting for him to make his point.  
“It would be good to make connections while you’re here. I understand you’re quite far away from Atlas, and had your own issues there.”-  
Her eyes narrowed at the mention.  
-“But this isn’t Atlas, it would be good for you, and the others to interact and become friendly. You never know when you may need something from one of them.”

Their meeting ended shortly after that. Far’s thoughts held on that last sentence of his as she walked back to her office.  
“Ridiculous. If there’s no issue with my teaching, why bother bringing up something like that?”  
While she’d admit she didn’t have the greatest aptitude for making friends, it’s not as if she didn’t have any.  
…  
No wait she only had one…  
Who was in Atlas still…  
And she hadn’t spoken to in half a year…   
She stopped midway through a hall and sighed. She was glad nobody was around to see her expression at realizing Ozpin had a point.

***

Far had pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind by the next morning.   
She ate a light breakfast like she usually did.  
Showered and got dressed like she usually did.  
Gathered her things, and got ready to go, as she usually did.  
However this time something was missing from her belongings she needed for the day.  
Her School ID…

She began to panic, scouring her little campus townhouse.  
“Oh no, oh no no no no…”   
She needed that to navigate Beacon Tower and get into faculty rooms. To identify herself in case of some kind of emergency, it was essential!   
But where could it have gone? She always had it with her, she never lost it, not once in three years…  
“You never know when you may need something from one of them.”  
She scowled at the sudden remembrance.  
“Ozpin…”   
She had heard once from Glynda he was prone to eccentricities when the mood struck him but this was too much. 

She began her walk onto campus, and continued scowling up at Beacon Tower.  
His plan was almost perfect, she couldn’t even go up there to complain to him without her ID.   
Of course… She had to talk to another teacher and get them to take her up there…  
Great idea Oz, have her first impression be that she lost a valuable part of her equipment. Maybe send her out on a mission with one of them and steal her weapons next…   
Far finally got to her office and unlocked it with her physical key, before plopping herself at her desk.   
It was one of her days without students beyond club in the afternoon, with the third years being mostly away on missions. Of course he probably accounted for that too…   
The fact it seemed so much preparation went into his antagonism is what bothered her the most.   
She took a deep breath, and pulled up her scroll’s directory of contact information, if she had to do it, she may as well get it done with. 

Before she scrolled to the faculty list, she lingered on her Atlas one for a moment, staring at her old team’s contact information, hovering over her friend Mox’s name.   
She really should contact her soon…   
Quickly she placed that thought on the back burner, and switched over to Beacon contacts.  
Now could begin the deciding.  
Far stared at the screen for several moments, her eyes unfocusing as she hardly blinked.   
There were too many options…   
Too many people she hardly knew. 

Oobleck was too peculiar and eccentric for her first meeting.   
Port was far too boisterous and loud, and enjoyed rambling a bit much for her liking at this time.  
Peach was… Peach. Far knew a little about plants, but that woman is insatiable.  
Vincent Archibald. She wasn’t familiar with him besides the fact he taught nutrition and fitness. Come to think of it, she wasn’t really aware if she had met the man or not.  
After many no’s and maybe’s, she finally came to Glynda. A terrifying woman if angered, but she was a fan of order, and would be likely to let her get things straight once more.  
All she’d have to do.  
Is call her.   
By pressing the button.  
The button in front of her.  
The one under her thumb that she refused to press…   
Oh Gods what if she was being a bother by calling to speak with her…   
No! She was thinking too much, and simply needed to press the button and call her like a professional.   
She would simply call Glynda, and say she left her ID in Ozpin’s office, and they could g-  
Her inner dialogue was interrupted by the sound of knocking on her office door as she jumped in a start.   
Quickly, she calmed herself down and asked them to come in. 

Glynda stepped into Far’s office with an immediate greeting, “Hello Professor Aeigs, I’d like to know if you have a free moment for me to speak with you.”   
Far stammered a yes. She was paralyzed like a car were coming for her. Did she somehow know she wanted to speak with her? Did Ozpin manage to predict that too?!  
Glynda sat in the chair in front of Far’s desk and began, “I’m here to talk with you about the matter with Cardin.”  
Far untensed. Of course.  
She was giving the old man far too much credit.  
“Yes, Ozpin mentioned you were going to have a word with him.”   
She sighed, closing her eyes and seeming to relax a bit, “Yes. Winchester is troubled, and I fear he’ll be a problem student for more than just his first year. But you shouldn’t have any problems I hope, I’ll do what I can to ensure you’re not dealing with classes with him to make things easier.”   
Far’s eyes were wide in surprise at not just the words, but the face Glynda wore. It wasn’t the normal, stern, and unbreakable expression of her’s.   
It was somewhat remorseful and tired.   
“It’s alright, Glynda. I’ve dealt with adults worse than him, I can deal with a child with… questionable views of me. You don’t need to stretch yourself for my sake.”   
Her mind was racing. SHIT! She just called her senior by her first name without a title or anything! And not only that, but she DID need her to do something for her sake. 

Glynda gave a small smirk as she sat up in her seat, “I’ve appreciated how few problems you’ve caused since you got here, and I’d like to make sure you’re comfortable here. Just as well, I can’t allow discrimination to openly occur in front of me.”   
The two sat in silence for a second or two as Far scrambled in her mind to think of a way to ask what she needed.   
“Well, that’s all I needed to let you know. If there’s anything you’d like to discuss, feel free to contact me.” And she began to get up and move to the door.   
Need to do something now…  
“Ah! I mean. There is something, uhm… If you aren’t busy at the moment.”   
Glynda was surprised looking back at her. She didn’t seem to expect anything but a goodbye, but she sat down again, “If there’s something you need help with I’d be happy to. We need to keep the school in order after all, that includes the teachers.” 

Far explained her meeting with Ozpin the day before, his focus on her forming connections with the faculty, and her current suspicion that he somehow managed to swipe her ID and was holding it in his office.   
Her attempts to find someone to help her get it back, and then Glynda’s subsequent appearance as Far was thinking of calling her.

At the end of the explanation, Glynda’s old face had returned as she gave an exasperated sigh, “That does sound like something he’d do… He insists on his own eccentricities, even when his goal has a point. I’d say that’s one of his larger flaws. But come, let’s get your ID now so it’s out of the way.”   
They left together and walked to the tower.   
Far continued to be surprised at how casual Glynda was being with her, the whole trip she explained various occasions Ozpin had some elaborate scheme or plan for lessons. For both students and teachers.  
He was apparently especially fond of puzzles and incredibly vague iconography in events such as the team sorting for first years. Every year would be different from what she gathered.   
The two eventually reached the top of the tower to meet with Ozpin who was sitting behind his desk as usual.   
Far walked up, and as politely as she could muster, asked for her ID back.   
They exchanged glances, Far disgruntled, and Ozpin completely placid.  
“Yes, you left this with me yesterday by accident.”   
And he handed her ID back to her.   
As she walked back to the elevator with Glynda she only had the thought of how hard it would be to hurl Ozpin from one of his 30 windows. 

She leaned against the elevator door sighing, and clutching her ID, then gave out an audible groan in frustration.   
Glynda responded with a light chuckle before speaking up, “You know Ms. Aegis, it might be good for us to have a weekly check in with each other.”   
She looked over to Far with a knowing smile, “In case he causes any more trouble. Or if you simply wanted to talk. It would be nice to have another semi normal woman to talk with.”  
Far looked over at Glynda, and returned the smile, “Yeah. That sounds like a good idea, you just beat me to it, like earlier today.” 

After exiting the tower, the two women parted ways for the time.  
And Far strode back to her office, with a more positive step to her this time.   
She had to prepare for the evening, she had an art club to host after all.


End file.
